


The New Secretary

by HM (HyperMint)



Series: Incomplete [1]
Category: Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Gen, Interacting with new people, Lesbian/ Gay OCs, Other Characters - Freeform, Secretary Swap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-10
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2017-11-13 23:36:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 46,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/508984
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HyperMint/pseuds/HM
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Team Seven finds themselves with a new addition to the group.  But, it's only temporary as she has to go back to the FBI at the end of the Swap. That doesn't mean, however, they still can't be friends, right?</p><p>As they start drawing AJ out of her shell, they start to realize that there are some things that she's doing that doesn't quite make sense. But that doesn't mean anything. Women are a mystery to the Seven and AJ's no different.</p><p>But what's really going on? And is everything really as it appears?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Monday, May 23, 2011

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I don't own anything or one recognizable. I own everything else, like the other characters, the Swap and AJ herself.
> 
> AN: I'm going to add more tags and things as we get going. The story is kind of slow at first, but things start getting interesting a few chapters in. Please bear with me on this, because AJ has her own story that I need to start setting in place in this story. Some of the things need to be introduced before I start anything else and it will all make sense at the end.
> 
> AJ has quirks that the team will start becoming familiar with as we go on down the road. Then, they will start to get the stories behind some of these quirks. 
> 
> Be warned, however. AJ has secrets. Her backstory, for one, will not be fully known for quite some time to come.
> 
> But, I can tell you that there are quite a few crossovers to liven things up at a later time. This is just the beginning and I hope you will stick with me.

 

***

Buck Wilmington sighed happily as he stretched and entered the elevator. 

It was going to be a great day, he could tell. JD Dunne, his young roommate, had had to go in a little early and they didn’t have to be in at the usual time.

It was a Monday and even their undercover agent, Ezra Standish, would probably be in before his usual time around eleven. They always had a meeting on any Monday that there was no outstanding cases that needed their immediate attention or when all were at the office and not at court.

As the elevator opened to let him out on the eleventh floor, Buck was actually looking forward to seeing the guys. Whistling, he headed down the hall and rounded the corner to see a brunette seated at the desk just outside the office door. “Mornin’, Darlin’,” he grinned as bespectacled grey eyes turned upward to stare at him.

“Er, hello…?”

It wasn’t until Buck was waiting for his computer to start and sipping on some coffee that he registered the anomaly. He turned wide blue eyes to the door and was about to stand when Chris Larabee finally stuck his head out to call a meeting.

“But -” he protested as Nathan Jackson towed him into the conference room. “Nathan, who -?”

“We aren’t sure what the deal is,” the medic told him. “Chris is going to explain.”

“I thought we weren’t going to have a secretary,” JD told them. Chris had once told them that they didn’t need to have one, even though all the other teams did.

As they settled into their respective seats, the aforementioned secretary slipped into an extra seat before Chris closed the door and surveyed them.

Josiah Sanchez had a stack of files in front of him and was curiously studying the girl while trying not to.

Nathan was picking apart a muffin and kept glancing at her as Ezra did the same on her right.

JD was frowning at her as Vin Tanner twirled a pencil around, seemingly uninterested though Chris knew better.

“Alright, fellas,” Chris ran a hand through his short blond hair. “Here’s the deal. This,” he waved at her, “is AJ Johnson. She’ll be working with us for the Secretary Swap.”

The annual Swap was conducted between the FBI and the ATF offices of Denver. It was morale for the secretaries and, at the beginning of the year, a raffle was held to determine fifty participants that would set up shop at the other office for one month. It was also designed to cultivate a stronger relationship with the other office.

“But wait,” Nathan held up a finger. “All of the fifty secretaries take their counterparts’ places and there’s no reason why we should have one.”

“Well, that’s what’s _supposed_ to happen. Evidently, someone screwed up and her name was drawn out by mistake. So, they had to put her somewhere that wasn’t already taken. The one thing that makes this even the most remotely tolerable is that she’s already experienced with a team."

“AJ, right?” JD was feeling sympathetic now that it was all explained. “I’m JD,” he reached over to shake her hand. “Welcome to the team.”

She smiled shyly as they shook. “Thanks,” she ducked her head. “I hope I’m not being too much of a bother to you guys… I didn’t know about the Swap cause I joined the Bureau around this time last year.”

“Didn’t you know about it when they did the raffle at the beginning of the year?” he wanted to know.

“I… I wasn’t present when they did the raffle,” she hesitantly admitted. “I had been hit with the flu and was still recovering at home. I found out about it a month ago.”

“Typical of them,” Buck rolled his eyes. “No relevant warning before springing a surprise on a body.”

“Well, Ms. Johnson,” Ezra’s Southern tones took on a soothing quality as understanding lit green eyes. “Allow me to join Mr. Dunne in welcoming you to our band of renegades.”

“Temporarily,” Nathan smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry, Johnson. I know we didn’t want one, but I’m sure we can work with you.”

Her smile dimmed. “I’m sure I can work with you, too,” she told him. “I really am sorry to be a bother.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Buck waved her apology away. “Not like you planned it.”

Vin nodded, having felt like a bother when he was still in the foster system. He didn’t want anyone else to feel unwanted, even if it was a result of a screw-up. _Especially_ if it was the result of a screw-up. “Vin,” he told her. “JD’s our tech guy and Ezra’s our undercover agent. Buck, over there, is one of our explosives experts. Chris is the leader, Nathan’s the medic and Josiah’s our profiler. I’m translator, one of the other explosives experts, and sniper.”

“Yeah, and watch your back around this one,” Buck sniped. “He’s a prankster.”

“And don’t drink his coffee,” JD wrinkled his nose. “Or Josiah’s. Well, unless you like battery acid…”

“And Chris is really just a kitten,” Buck added. “So don’t be scared of him. He just likes growling a lot.”

“And you may want to stock up on headache medicine,” JD advised. “Ezra has a habit of playing dictionary and sometimes Josiah doesn’t understand him either.”

Said Southerner just tapped a figure to his temple in his trademark salute.

“And don’t take anything they tell you with a grain of salt,” Chris glared. “Troublemakers, all of them.”

“Aw, shucks, Hoss,” Buck laughed. “You sure know how to make a guy feel special.”

“Yeah, yeah…”

“So, Johnson,” Nathan waited until grey eyes latched onto him. “Are there any allergies that we need to know about? Food allergies or medicine?”

“Well, oranges sort of upset my stomach so I don’t eat them,” she shrugged. “If I do, I’m pretty much useless for the rest of the day. I haven’t yet encountered a medication that I couldn’t handle, but that’s about it. Uh, if you don’t mind, I’d like to know about your own food allergies so I know what not to eat.”

“You can eat it, but make sure we know what it is,” Chris told her. “I’m not really into persimmons, but I’m not allergic to it.”

JD lifted a shoulder. “I’ll eat anything."

“Me, too,” Vin nodded.

“Strawberries,” Josiah piped up.

“Clams,” Buck added.

Nathan thought for a minute. “Nothing I’ll be coming into contact with unless someone wants to go out of their way.”

Ezra smiled slightly. “No food, but bees make me wary.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “I’ll remember it.”

“Why?” Buck grinned. “Don’t like us already?”

“I’ve got enough problems without being accused of attempted murder,” she shrugged. “Especially since we belong to different agencies and I can tell you don’t like it.”

“Well, Darlin’,” Buck smoothed his mustache. “That ain’t it, per se…”

“At least you don’t seem to be judgmental,” JD told her. “Ez used to be a Fed, too.”

“In Atlanta, I heard,” she nodded. Seeing the surprise, she explained, “When we found out where I would be placed, the team I worked with made me research your histories. So that I know who I’m dealing with, they told me.”

“I can see that,” Chris expected nothing less from Agent Roland Lowe. “It’s good to see Lowe taking initiative in prepping his team for unknown territory.”

“Lowe?” Vin straightened. Blue eyes studied AJ. “You work with Lowe? He’s pretty good in Civil Rights.”

“One of the best,” Nathan grinned.

“Really?” JD had heard of Agent Lowe. Lowe was one of his idols. “What’s he like?”

Grey eyes turned downward. “He works us all hard… and it sometimes feels like he does it intentionally, but he’s a good guy who knows how to motivate us.”

Chris nodded. “Sounds like him.”

“As much as I’m entertained by this tête-à-tête,” Ezra suddenly interrupted. “Lady, Gentlemen, I believe my time is limited.”

“Oh, right,” Buck scratched his head. “You have court this afternoon, don’t you?”

“Johnson,” Chris nodded. “Welcome to the team for however long you’ll be here for and I hope we’ll work well together.”

“Thanks, sir.”

*

 


	2. Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Josiah hummed as he perused the donut selection at his favorite bakery. It was his turn to bring in breakfast and he took his turn very seriously.

‘Let’s see,’ he looked it over. ‘Chris wants a blueberry one, JD and Vin want chocolate, Nathan wants plain, Buck wants jelly filled, and Ezra wants éclair. I’ll have one of those cinnamon ones…’ He blinked as he remembered they had an eighth now. ‘Sister Johnson… hmm. What would she like?’

On the one hand, she could like donuts and he could pick out one of the chocolate ones or blueberry. But on the other hand, she may not like donuts and take offense to the insinuation. Some women were like that. But then, she may not like any of it and eat it anyway just to make him feel better…

“Okay, not donuts. Decision’s down to muffins and bagels… but then she may not like them either…” In the end, Josiah opted for a safe decision of cinnamon twists. Well, one cinnamon and one blueberry.

Nodding, he left the bakery with his goodies and arrived at the office minutes later.

“Ah,” he rounded the corner and spied their temporary teammate typing away already. “Sister! Could I interest you in joining me in the break room?”

She looked up and blinked. “Sure,” she nodded. Standing, she let Josiah lead the way and they entered the main offices where all but Ezra were and no one expected him for another hour at least.

“About time,” Buck grinned, getting up to follow. The others went with him.

AJ didn’t seem to know what was going on, so JD explained, “Josiah’s turn to get donuts.”

“Donuts?” she stared.

“We all get a turn buying for the team,” JD reached into the box and picked out his choices. “I’m not really sure how that started, but it’s a tradition.”

AJ was thinking about this when Josiah offered the twists on a small paper plate, one that came from a bunch of different ones that somehow seemed to constantly appear on the counter next to the microwave.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted, so I made a guess,” he watched as she took the plate and quietly studied the small pastries.

“Josiah didn’t poison it, Darlin’,” Buck laughed as she sniffed it.

It looked like she desperately wanted to say something about that, but she shook her head instead. “I know. But cinnamon smells so good in the mornings.”

“No arguing here,” Vin toasted her with his coffee.

“It smells good any time, though, right?” JD’s brow furrowed.

“I like it in the morning,” AJ shrugged. “Um, thanks.”

“Not a problem.”

AJ studied him for a minute. “Would you like some lunch?”

“Maybe tomorrow, Sister,” Josiah waved a hand. “I have plans this afternoon.”

“Yeah,” Buck said dryly. “A date.”

“This may come as a surprise to you, Buck,” JD rolled his eyes. “But not every lunch is a date.”

“Well, there’s a woman involved,” he defended.

AJ just watched them interact before going back out to her desk.

When Josiah walked past a little while later, she was absently munching on bits that she’d torn off of the pastries.


	3. Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Tammy Sallin - like everyone else - had heard about the new girl that had been brought in to work with Team Seven. Rumor was that her placement was as it was because someone at the Bureau screwed up. Tammy’s best friend, Arina Yoka, had told her and their other two friends that Johnson seemed to take all of this in stride.

From what Arina had heard, Johnson hadn’t been very social to any of the other secretaries and that made Tammy somewhat nervous about meeting her.

If she ever did…

Becky Worth had sniffed and said that she was a snob. Tammy thought that the irony was amusing. Personally, Tammy didn’t like Becky, who was herself a snob. It didn’t seem right to pass judgment on Johnson, when she’d never met the woman.

To be fair, Tammy was a shy girl of 5 foot, 5 inches. So when she rounded the corner of the General File Room, she hadn’t had warning before colliding with a smaller brunette.

Gasping at the impact, Tammy immediately dropped the files she was holding. “I’m so sorry!” she squeezed her eyes shut. “I _always_ do this. I don’t know why I’m always running into people.”

“Oh, it’s fine,” grey eyes peered up at her from behind wireframe glasses. “Accidents happen.”

Tammy stared at her before her manners kicked in. “Oh, I’m Tammy,” she stuck a hand out.

“AJ,” she slipped a hand into hers and they shook before Tammy bent down to gather the papers. “Do you work here or the FBI?” she asked, going down to join her.

“Oh, here. Uh, if you don’t mind my asking, I haven’t seen you before. Are you here because of the Swap?”

“Yeah,” they stood and wrested the papers back into order. “I’m sure you’ve heard about the secretary they dumped on Team Seven. They try to hide it, but I know they can’t wait to get rid of me,” she lifted a shoulder. “I would, too, if I didn’t want a secretary to begin with.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Tammy immediately denied, dazed at the fact that she’d finally met the elusive Ms. Johnson. And, she didn’t seem as bad as what the others have been saying! “Agent Larabee and his team are really nice. I’m sure they don’t mean anything by it.”

“Just because they’re nice doesn’t mean they don’t want me here,” she said. “It’s fine, really. I don’t know how I got mixed up in the whole thing, but here I am. And you know what they say about -” she blinked, looking surprised at herself for some reason. She gave the sheaf of papers back to Tammy. “Never mind. I came down here for some files, actually. Agent Wilmington wanted files and I have to admit some confusion about what I’m supposed to be looking for.”

Tammy nodded thoughtfully. “Hold on a second. Let me look for another file and then I’ll be able to help you with yours.”

“I don’t mean to be a bother,” AJ ducked her head. “I’ve always hated being the new kid.”

“Me, too,” Tammy assured her, easily locating her last file. “Okay. Now, what did you have to find?”

AJ took a list out of her pocket. “Jennings, Muave, Le Rue.”

“Alright. Let’s look for Jennings, first,” Tammy led the way to the shelf in the J section. “Keep in mind that these try to be in alphabetical order. If they are not, just look for the newly closed red files,” she pointed to a majority of them. “If they’re older, they have a star on them and the ones who are put to bed are over here in the grey folders,” there was a whole shelf dedicated to the greys of J. “I’m not sure where they go after that.”

“What do the other colors mean?” AJ studied a green folder.

“That one’s open. Yellow means pending and orange means that it’s been transferred from another place.”

“Interesting,” she murmured, grey eyes taking in the large room.

“You’ll see when you really get into the swing of things,” Tammy assured. “Well,” she glanced at her watch. “Almost time for lunch.” AJ nodded absently, already searching for her file. “Uh, would you like to eat with us?” Tammy shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Frankly, she was a bit surprised at herself. She wasn’t usually this forward around people she barely knew.

“Hm?” she looked up. “Oh, I don’t know. We’ll have to ask Agent Sanchez because I kind of told him I wanted to buy him lunch… but, I mean, I don’t have to do it today…”

Tammy froze. Being around other women was one thing, but she’d never really spent time around men. She grew up with her two Aunts and six female cousins. Tammy and her cousins had spent their lives in all female schools. She had no male friends and wasn’t sure how to go about getting some.

Before she could respond, a head popped around the shelves, chocolate brown eyes glinting in a dark face.

“Well, there you are, Tam!” her other best friend Josie Landon grinned. “We’ve been lookin’ high and low for you! Let’s beat it ‘fore Pest comes back.” Brown eyes took in the brunette next to her, staring with curious grey eyes. “Hey. Johnson, right? Want to come with?”

“Where are we going this time?” Tammy wanted to know.

“That place near Arina’s,” she answered, still eyeing AJ.

“I still have these files -”

“Hand’em over,” Josie snatched the list from AJ, cutting her off. Josie looked it over before nodding. “C’mon, you two. Faster we do this, faster we can eat.”

Tammy wasn’t sure how, but she soon found herself being herded into the elevator with AJ, sans files.

“Now,” Josie pressed the button for the eleventh floor. “Johnson, how do you feel about Chinese?”

“Haven’t had it in awhile,” she shrugged.

Soon, they were at AJ’s temporary station outside the doors of the Team Seven offices.

“Love what you’ve done to the place,” Josie grinned as she spotted a blue ball of fuzz with googly eyes perched on the edge of the L-shaped table.

“Agent Tanner gave it to me,” AJ frowned at the files and rapped on the office door.

“You don’t need to knock, Darlin’,” Buck opened the door. “Just come on in. And I see you’ve been makin’ friends already,” he grinned, winking at Tammy and Josie, the latter of whom grinned back.

She pushed AJ in. “Can’t stay, Wilmington,” she attracted attention away from Tammy as was custom and dragged AJ to Chris’s office. “Larabee! Here’s your files, hope you can get by without your new friend. We’ll bring her back in the state we found her in.”

Chris looked up with a smile. “Sure, take her. She’s been at her desk ever since she got here Monday.”

“Oh, but, um,” Tammy hovered near the main door in case she needed to make a quick getaway. “AJ said she was going to lunch with Agent Sanchez.”

“And you didn’t invite us, Preacher?” Vin leaned back in his chair. “What kinda friend are you?”

“A clueless one,” he chuckled. “No, Sister, you go on ahead. I’ll be staying here for today. Maybe another time.”

“… if you want,” she looked almost disappointed.

“That’s settled,” Josie rubbed her hands together. “Now, we’re off to eat. We’re meeting the others at the car,” she added, grabbing AJ and dragging her off. “See ya, boys!”

“Have fun,” JD looked up and smiled slightly.

“Take your time,” Chris added, flipping through the folders. “Place won’t burn down without you.”

Tammy scurried out while AJ was dragged out, the brunette oddly tense at Agent Larabee’s wisecrack. Buck waved as he closed the door and Josie grabbed what looked like AJ’s purse. “Phone, wallet?”

AJ nodded, glancing back at the door with trepidation.

“Don’t worry about them,” Josie waved dismissively. “Larabee was kidding.”

“Not very funny,” she muttered, putting her purse on and letting the long strap cross her front.

“I don’t think it was supposed to be,” Tammy opinioned. Soon, Tammy and Josie gathered their own things and the trio found themselves in the garage, heading to a Ford Fusion 2009.

“Where have you been!” Josie’s twin sister, Jodie, rounded a corner. The last of their group, Arina, being dragged by the wrist. “We’ve been close to calling you on the intercom!”

“Relax, sis,” Josie grinned. “Oh, right. This is Johnson, but she goes by AJ. She’s the one saddled with Team Seven.”

“Hello,” she nodded, glancing between the twins with an odd look on her face.

“I’m sure Josie didn’t introduce herself,” Jodie rolled her eyes. “She’s Josie, I’m Jodie and our last name is Landon. Arina Yoka, here, is Japanese.”

AJ immediately turned to her. “Know Japanese?”

“I was taught Japanese at the same time as English,” she nodded, adjusting her glasses. AJ and Arina were more or less the same height, so they easily held eye contact.

“I love going to Japan,” AJ smiled wistfully as she was herded into the back of the Fusion. “But my last visit… left something to be desired.”

Packing the three in the back, Jodie took the wheel and Josie relaxed in the passenger seat as the car made its way out of the garage.

“Yeah, well,” Josie chuckled. “At least you didn’t go there during the earthquake and tsunami earlier this year, right?”

Jodie drew their attention with an observation, all four of them missing AJ’s flinch. Her color was back to normal when they pulled up in front of the restaurant so none of them were any the wiser.

Once they put their drink orders in and settled in their booth, Tammy turned to smile at AJ. “So, how long have you been at the FBI?”

“A year now,” she lifted a shoulder.

“What did you do before the Bureau got their claws - I mean, hands on you?” Josie winced as Jodie kicked her.

“Can I ask you something?” AJ asked instead, making Tammy wonder if her former job - if she’d had one - was embarrassing. “What is this auction that I’ve been hearing about?”

“Oh, yeah, I got that memo,” Jodie nodded, scouring the menu. “I guess you wouldn’t know about it right away. See, the Swap Auction is an event associated with the Swap that you were brought in as part of. All the secretaries that are at the ATF and been transferred over from the FBI have to be in this Auction.”

“There’s two parts,” Josie continued. “First, secretaries can bid on the new ones. Anyone can have you do anything, but it would have to be little things. You know, the favors that you don’t have to plan much for. But, see, the thing is that whoever’s got you has to give you things to do before the Swap ends.”

Jodie added, “It’s the same for the second part. That’s when the agents get to bid on you all. The idea is to have a blending of people getting to know each other. They can do anything from having you go on a date to babysitting. And, it doesn’t have to be just one agent, either.”

“And I would have to do things for each of the ones who get me?” AJ mused thoughtfully. “But what if I don’t get taken?”

“Oh, you’ll have to,” Josie assured. “All of you have to get taken. It’s part of the rules. But, of course, you can put your foot down if something makes you uncomfortable.”

AJ nodded, not saying anything else as their waiter brought their drinks and took their food orders. Once he left, she toyed with her straw. “And when is all this supposed to start?”

“Next week,” Arina answered.

“Will the secretaries be under the rule that everyone has to be taken, as well?”

“Sure,” Jodie sipped her tea. “But don’t worry about that. If we all pool together, we’ll be able to buy you, no problem.”

“Yeah,” Tammy nodded, by this point used to the twins dragging them along on whatever venture they’d decided was a worthy cause. “We haven’t gotten along with the others in your group.”

“Because some of ‘em are straight up snobs,” Josie wrinkled her nose.

“I like you,” Arina offered.

“But,” AJ frowned at her. “You don’t even know me.”

“Yet,” Josie grinned. “There’s somethin’ about you, Johnson. Besides, not knowing someone is the reason the Auction had been going on. We’ll get to know you, just wait. You won’t regret it.”

Tammy could swear that the look on AJ’s face said, _That may be, but will **you**?_


	4. Thursday, May 26, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where I remind you that there is a lesbian character and that there will be no OC/ MoS.
> 
> I've never before seen an OC and Seven story where the OC is gay. To be completely honest, I don't much like those stories where the OC has to pair up with one of the guys. Why can't the OC be gay? Why can't the OC be a gay female?
> 
> Come on, people. Be creative. Unless there is some unwritten rule that I don't know about...
> 
> If you don't like not having an OC pair with one of the boys, stop reading.
> 
> If you don't like the idea of having a lesbian character, stop reading.
> 
> If you don't like the idea of homosexuality, please stop reading.
> 
> Although, to be fair, the homosexuality won't be heavy or anything. I'm just letting you know that there are gay characters. This whole series wouldn't be able to work without gay characters.
> 
> Please consider this before reading anymore.

“Um, Agent Larabee?”

Chris looked up to see AJ in the door. “Question?”

“I was wondering if I could get donuts next.”

Chris hid a smile as green eyes took in the determined look.

JD had brought the breakfast today and he’d also gotten something for AJ. Chris, having been there when JD presented her with a blueberry muffin, could see the mounting tension in her small - five foot three - frame.

He knew it had to be a matter of time before she asked to be included in the rotation. Since she was also a member of the team - however temporarily she was with them -, Buck had also tossed the suggestion out earlier that morning. Chris had no problem with it, considering the fact that she kept asking Josiah to lunch over his earlier contribution and now JD had bought breakfast.

Idly wondering what she would do if he didn’t let her do it, Chris shrugged. “Ask Vin. His turn and all.”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded, turning right back around. Chris followed as she stalked to Vin and Ezra’s shared desk. “Agent Tanner?”

Vin glanced over at Chris, who tilted his head, before smiling up at AJ. “Somethin’ I can do for you, Darlin’?”

Evidently, ‘Darlin’ had become the team’s nickname for her.

“Agent Larabee told me to talk to you about your turn to bring in breakfast.”

Vin also agreed with Buck that maybe she should have a turn, even if she wasn’t long term. To Vin’s way of thinking, if she was working with them, then she was a member of the team. If she was a member of the team, then she would be expected to act like one. Bringing in donuts for everyone was just something the team did. “What ‘bout it?”

“Can I do it? I mean, if it’s alright with you.”

“I don’t have a problem with it,” Vin shook his head thoughtfully. “Chris? What about you?”

“Nope,” the blond smiled slightly.

Vin nodded before turning to his desk-mate. “Ez? You alright with AJ buying donuts?”

“Whatever Ms. Johnson sees fit to bring in, I shall gladly partake.”

“As long as you can see us eating it,” Nathan piped up. “Sure. No problems here.”

“I agree,” Josiah nodded. “I was actually about to suggest it, seeing as it looks to be making you uncomfortable if someone else gives you anything.”

“I just don’t like owing someone,” she ruefully ducked her head.

“That’s understandable,” Chris put in. “I don’t much fancy it myself.”

JD looked up. “I don’t mind having AJ have a turn. I mean, she’s technically part of the team, right?”

“That’s also a good point,” Nathan nodded thoughtfully.

“Buck,” JD spotted him leaning against the wall next to the break room door. “What do you think?”

“If she don’t mind,” he smiled at her reassuringly. “I guess I got nothin’ to complain about.”

“Guess that settles it,” Vin turned to her. “If ya can manage, a dozen oughta be about right.”

“Okay,” she nodded. “Thanks, Agent Tanner.”

“Don’t worry about it, Darlin’,” he waved it away. “I can buy breakfast for the fellas just as well when you go back to your office down with the Feds.”

As much as the team hated it, they tried to curb their dislike for Ezra’s former agency around AJ. Since she’d be working with them, they tried to be - somewhat - respectful. And anyway, it wasn’t AJ’s fault she got dragged into their lives.

Well, this time, anyway.

She could have actually volunteered for a future Swap, eventually, but she’d more than likely only have limited contact with them as she would have been placed with the other secretaries.

And, anyway, it wasn’t the secretaries Team Seven had issues with. It was the agents themselves, no matter how good at their jobs they were.

Speaking of secretaries…

“Johnson,” Chris spoke up as she turned to leave. “You got the memo about the Auction?”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded solemnly. “The Landon twins explained it to me when we were at lunch.”

“Good,” he nodded.

“That’s right,” Buck frowned, sipping his coffee. Or ‘dishwater’, as Vin affectionately called it. “You’re gonna be in it, right?”

“Are you actually going to be bidding this time?” Chris raised an eyebrow at him. Usually, his oldest friend would just be looking through the temporary girls in preparation of trying his charms on them.

“Now, why would I do that?” he grinned. “I can still have them do what I want without having to bid for their time.”

“But the proceeds are going toward the Y and Battered Women’s Shelter,” Josiah reminded him. Josiah would go to the Auction. He would sometimes make a bid for someone and occasionally win.

Seeing AJ’s pensive look, JD tilted his head thoughtfully. “I guess I could maybe put in an appearance,” he mused. “I mean, since AJ’s going to be up there and all.” He shrugged. “I mean, it’s just that I feel like I should be there for support, you know?”

“That’s a good point, JD,” Nathan nodded. “Rain’s working late all next week, so I don’t have any other plans.”

“Well, he-ck, boys,” Buck covered his slip-up, glancing at the sole female. “Let’s make it a team effort! We’ll all pretty much be there anyway. Ez? Chris? Vin? What say you?”

“For a good cause,” Vin smiled crookedly. “Why not.”

“I have no outstanding engagements that cannot be rescheduled.”

“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’,” Buck shook his head, for the umpteenth time wondering why he couldn’t talk like other people.

“Count me in,” never let it be said that Chris Larabee didn’t support his team.

“Great,” Buck clapped his hands together and rubbed them briskly together. “Anybody know where it is this year?”

Ezra was already clicking through the memo in his email inbox. “The Downer Convention Center.”

The DCC – as it was usually called – was one of several centers that were available to businesses and agencies headquartered in Denver.

“Sounds good,” Nathan nodded. “You know where it is, AJ?”

She slowly shook her head, grey eyes darting from one to the other.

“We can drive you over,” Nathan offered. “I can swing by your place after work, if you like.”

“It’ll be easier if we went straight from the office,” Josiah pointed out. “We can bring a change of clothes or something and start getting ready here.”

“What about AJ?” JD frowned. The brunette in question looked taken aback as seven pairs of eyes landed on her.

“What about her?” Buck frowned at him.

“Well, she’s a girl, right? Shouldn’t she want to do something with her hair or something?”

Chris frowned slightly, considering. “Johnson, you gonna need help or something?”

“No…,” she bit her lip, glancing down at herself. “I got it.”

“If you do,” Buck told her, “the girls you been hangin’ around with can help. Or one of the Bureau girls.”

With that out of the way, Chris looked her over. “You have an outfit for this thing?” he mentally winced. AJ was a female; she had outfits for _everything_.

“Maybe,” she mused. “I can get one if I don’t.”

“Well, that’s taken care of,” Buck grinned.

“You want to look your best, don’t you?” JD turned to her. “So you can have someone bet on you.”

“That’s one of the rules, Brother,” Josiah sat back in his chair. “All of those up for Auction must be won. To strengthen bonds between the personnel of our agencies.”

“I wonder who’s gonna get you,” JD grinned in excitement. “All of us here are really good men and women. So, you don’t have to worry about that.”

“Josiah will put in a bid for you,” Nathan assured. “Right, Josiah?”

“Certainly,” he studied the brunette as she turned to him. “Maybe even win you, if that’s alright.”

“If no one else bids,” she lifted a shoulder. Though, Chris could plainly see some of the tension leech from her at the prospect that someone she knows could potentially win her. Well, not someone she knew _well,_ but someone she was slightly familiar with. Chris frowned, trying to recall if she’d had any other interactions with agents outside of the team.

“Well,” Vin leaned back in his chair with an easy smile. “Can’t let Preacher go without a fight.”

“Are you proposing, Mr. Tanner,” Ezra’s eyes sparkled, “a war of bidding for Ms. Johnson?”

“You don’t have to do that,” she immediately shook her head.

“Ah, relax, Darlin’,” Buck grinned. “Ez’s just pullin’ your leg. Right, Ez? And besides. Between him, Junior and Josiah, I’m sure one of them’ll get you, no problem.”

“Unless someone else gets you,” JD pointed out.

AJ pulled one side of her mouth down. “I don’t know why someone would. I’m really not that special.”

“Everyone is in one way or another,” Josiah sagely advised. “Once they get to know you, I’m sure they’ll find redeeming qualities.”

“Maybe,” she didn’t sound entirely convinced. As she wandered back outside, Nathan frowned.

“I know it’s for a good cause and all, but I’m not sure I like the idea."

“Don’t worry, Nate,” Buck patted the air in his direction. “I know what you’re thinkin’, but it’s not the same.”

“She’s still gonna have to do whatever someone wants her to do,” JD had to point out.

“But there are limits,” Ezra pursed his lips. “And, I believe, Judge Travis monitors the situation.”

“Team leaders have to keep an eye on whoever their agents win,” Chris told them. “To make sure everything’s alright.” He’d had to do the same when Josiah introduced him to his own ‘purchase’. Though, Josiah could be trusted to keep everything under control.

“I’m sure she’ll be fine,” Buck frowned. “There ain’t a whole lot of agents here that I’m worried about.”

**


	5. Friday, May 27, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If the last chapter's warnings didn't scare you off, welcome to chapter 5.
> 
> Please remember to give a moment of silence for the victims of the Costa Concordia, which sunk one year ago today. 
> 
> It makes me wonder if there'll be another sinking disaster in 2112. Then, we'll have a roll going: Titanic 1912, Costa Concordia 2012... what next?

Tammy smiled slightly as Arina slid into the seat next to her in the general breakroom.

It was a sizable area branching off the office area where secretaries could do everything from eat meals there to taking a power nap on one of the couches centered around the television.

“Where’s Jodie and Josie?” Tammy wanted to know, opening her lunch bag.

“They’ll be around,” Arina lifted a shoulder. “I guess Bobby had an emergency at school.”

The twins had one older sister and one older brother. Their brother had a seven year old son that the twins just doted on.

“Is everything alright?” Tammy wanted to know, opening her can of soda that she’d gotten from one of the vending machines.

“Oh, yeah,” Arina shook her head. “But you know how Lyn and Jared are really booked right now.”

“That’s good,” she sighed in relief. Tammy let her eyes roam the room to see who was there.

Becky Worth had been flitting in and out. Some of the other girls were at the other end of the room. Tammy spied some of the Bureau Girls – as the Auction girls were called – lounging near the television.

They were really nice, she decided, having shared a laugh or two with a few of them. Still, they tended to keep together and Tammy really did understand that. It was an unfamiliar environment and having familiar people around tended to lead to a gathering of fellows.

Speaking of fellows…

“Hey,” Tammy caught sight of a familiar brunette as she ambled over to the Bureau girls. “It’s AJ.”

Arina followed her gaze and nodded. “That’s her, alright.” They watched AJ bend down to speak to one, a redhead that Tammy remembered as Taylor. Tammy and Arina looked at each other as AJ was slowly being surrounded by the others from the Bureau.

“What do you think is going on over here?” Tammy wondered aloud as one of the blondes whispered into AJ’s ear. AJ leaned back to frown at her as the blonde nodded earnestly.

“I don’t know,” Arina tilted her head. “AJ’s down here for lunch,” she added, spotting the purple lunch bag dangling from AJ’s hand.

“I thought Team Seven had lunch together,” Tammy frowned.

“Maybe AJ wants to hang around other girls today,” Arina shrugged. Tammy had to wonder, though, as AJ reached into her pocket and frowned as she scanned the message on her cellphone.

The other girls exchanged looks as AJ answered. Tammy and Arina weren’t quite sure what to make of any of it as AJ drifted from the others, pocketing her phone and letting grey eyes scan the tables in front of her. Tammy wasn’t entirely sure about this, but AJ seemed to be miles away as she glanced around.

“Now I _really_ want to know what happened,” Arina gave Tammy a side look. Tammy agreed, but decided that AJ had to eat sometime and raised a hand.

“Here, AJ,” she called, only dimly aware that the other Bureau girls turned to them. “Why don’t you sit here?”

Arina looked back over to the group and blinked at the looks of surprise as AJ headed in their direction. “Unless you had other plans,” she hastily added.

“No,” she smiled slightly. “No plans,” she settled in a chair across from them and unzipped her bag. 

“Say, what were you talking about over there?” Tammy glanced back over to see several pairs of eyes narrowed in thought.

“Nothing important,” she sighed, rolling her eyes at them. “And nothing I can’t handle is all.”

“You know we can help, if you need it,” Arina smiled shyly. She wasn’t the kind of person to easily make friends, but she seemed to get on fine with AJ for some reason.

She shook her head, warmly smiling at their concern. “No, I’m fine. It’s just things going on at the Bureau. Nothing I can’t handle.”

“If you’re sure,” Tammy munched on a chip. “Say, do you eat with Team Seven?”

“No,” she tilted her head. “I’m not sure I would qualify, not being an official member and all. Anyway, I like to make sure the others are doing okay.”

“Seems to be doing alright,” Arina took out her chopsticks to spear some shrimp. Her cousin was also her roommate and seemed to take great pleasure in making sure ‘Arina-chan’ was being fed. And if the girls were to drop by around lunchtime… Well, they got used to being the baby chicks after a while.

“How are you, though?” Tammy studied the brunette.

“Oh, I just can’t wait to get back to the office,” AJ smiled cheerily. “Then again, it kind of doesn’t feel like I’ve left, actually…”

The trio ate their lunches with periods of conversation. It was one of the most relaxing lunches Tammy had had in a long time.

About half-way through, the twins finally showed up.

“Hey, Johnson,” Jodie grinned, settling down into the seat next to her. “I see you’re out of your bolt hole.”

“What brings you ‘round us lowly pigeons?” Josie added with a teasing grin.

“Nothing special,” she lifted a shoulder.

AJ let them talk over her as she munched on her sandwich. It was as they were finishing and gathering their trash did a guy slide into the room.

“Oh, Lord,” Josie covered her eyes. “Pest at three o’clock.”

Tammy frowned at her watch. “It’s not even two.”

“Behind you,” AJ looked over her shoulder. “You’re at three o’clock. That’s the position your seat is.”

“Honey,” Jodie smiled wryly. “Explain all you want to, but she still ain’t gonna get it. We’ve tried.”

“Well, if it’s not my favorite ladies,” Pest ambled over with a cheery grin. “And how are we today, Ms. Tammy?”

Keeping in mind that Tammy really didn’t know how to respond to men - and this one in particular had a charming smile - , she immediately flushed and stuttered, “I-I can’t, um, re-really complain.”

“How about the rest of you?” Black eyes landed on AJ. “Hello, there. You must be the famous Ms. Johnson that’s been the talk of the office. How do you like it here?”

AJ looked at the others before studying him. “I’ve been settling in okay. May I ask who you are?”

“Ah, my apologies, AJ, was it? Arnold Westover, at your service. Now, may I ask what AJ stands for?”

“I don’t think we know each other that well,” she coolly eyed him.

“True that,” Jodie glared at him. “Now, get lost.”

“Ms. Landon,” he grinned at her. “It’s only a matter of time. Ladies,” he nodded before taking his leave.

“Agent Westover,” Josie shook her head. “AKA Pest. Got here three years ago and has been chasing women ever since.”

“Careful with that one, Johnson,” Jodie warned. “Pest has ways of making women like him. But us four? We don’t trust him.”

“Agent Wilmington doesn’t like him,” Arina pointed out.

“We think Wilmington’s jealous,” Josie told AJ. “I, personally, would date Wilmington if he were my type, but there ain’t no way I’m goin’ there with Pest.”

“Somethin’ don’t sit right with him,” Jodie added.

“A lot of the single girls have gone out with him,” Tammy sipped her soda. “Except for maybe us and Becky.”

“Yeah, well,” Josie lifted a shoulder. “Everybody knows she’s got her eye on Wilmington. Heck, she goes on about him like no tomorrow and it ain’t a mystery why no guy’s ever tried to get her attention.”

“Obsessed,” Jodie nodded. “Nothin’ but that man on the brain.”

“I don’t think she’s that bad,” Tammy turned to her, leaving AJ to stew over the information.

“Cause, you no threat,” she flicked her wrist. “Face it, Tam. Ya just don’t have it.”

“And when he does talk to you,” Arina pointed out. “It’s because Agent Wilmington is who he is and he can’t resist complimenting women.”

As they went on, AJ stared at the table.

‘Pest’ certainly was that, but no real threat for the moment.

Becky, on the other hand…

AJ knew well the dangers of obsession. She would have to keep her eyes open because obsessed people were dangerous.

And dangerous was unpredictable.

**


	6. Wednesday, June 1, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not at all sure that I'm happy with the beginning of this chapter.

Chris yawned as he got off the elevator onto his floor. He’d had a relaxing weekend at the ranch. Vin hung around Sunday and Buck had dropped by yesterday for a steak and beer.

Now that they were back in the office, it was time to once again get into the swing of things.

He rounded the corner and saw that their temporary secretary was at her desk, typing away at her keyboard with determination.

“Morning, Darlin’,” he smiled slightly as he stopped by her computer. “Anything come in for me?”

“Good morning, Agent Larabee,” she flicked a glance up at him. “Lead Agent Donners from Team Two will be by later today. He said it’s to green light the joint operation with Team Six from the Arizona office. Also, a Mary Travis would like you to call her back before Saturday.”

“Right. Have Donners meet me in my office when he gets here. Oh, and Johnson. When we call a meeting, I’d like you to sit in on it.”

“Sir?”

“Well, since you’re here, you may as well sit in and take notes. That way, if I can’t remember what’s going on, I’ll just go to you.”

“But Agent Lowe didn’t let me join the team during their meetings,” she frowned.

If Chris thought that was odd somehow, he didn’t really think anything of it. Some teams were run differently. “But you’re on my team for the rest of your time with us. I don’t see why you can’t interact with the team a little more.” He’d noticed that she didn’t quite connect with the team, but the team wasn’t making an effort on their end, either. “Besides, I make a point of including all my teammates. And, for the time being, you’re part of the team.”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded slightly. “Would you like me to go in now?”

Chris thought about it. “No. Give it a few minutes, then come in. Meet us in the conference room.”

After that, Chris went on to his office, hearing what his agents did over the Memorial Day weekend. Even though they would usually have had dinner together before going their separate ways, many things - as they were wont to do - came up and the dinner had had to be rain checked for another time.

Stowing his things at his desk, he nodded as he saw AJ scurry in and head for the conference room with a spiral one subject notebook and a pen. The boys, still chatting, got up and followed her in.

Chris followed the group and leaned against the doorjamb, watching all of them interact with each other.

The seven before him sat around the table in their seats. AJ had returned to the chair she’d used before and was currently scribbling in the notebook, only pausing to answer the polite questions tossed her way. She was sat a distance from the boys, even Ezra was in the middle of the group. And she was strangely tense, like she wasn’t sure of her welcome even though Chris had told her to show and the boys didn’t bat an eye at her presence.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any to appear, Chris reached and closed the door behind him. Once he got everyone’s attention, he crossed his arms.

“I hope everyone had a good weekend,” he noticed AJ stare at the table, “because we’ll jump right into it. Now, Travis cornered me in the garage and told me to give you a heads up. The Swap Auction has been moved to Saturday as a result of another event that had been rescheduled. That means that I will expect to see all of you there.

“Johnson, it will be your turn to bring in donuts tomorrow, so I expect you to get them first thing in the morning. Tanner, you will be moved to next week. I don’t want anyone forgetting and bringing two dozen more than we need. Also, Johnson will be included in our team meetings until the Swap ends and she goes back to her regular office.”

“That’s what we figured,” Vin lifted a shoulder. “AJ’s our teammate right now, so I’d expect her to be here.”

The others agreed and Chris watched AJ slowly relax in her chair. Getting their newest to relax was always a start. She could stand to do some of that more. She could also do with gaining some weight, Chris eyed her jacket. It was too big on her, but it clearly used to fit a little better.

“Everyone alright with that?” Chris made sure. Once all agreed that AJ had to suffer meetings with the rest of them, Chris went on with some other topics of discussion. All the while, AJ’s head was bent over her notebook as her pen scratched away.

Dismissing all, AJ was the first one out of the door. After the others had followed at a steadier pace, Vin stopped beside Chris.

“Johnson’s not connecting as well as I thought,” Chris admitted. “I do understand that we’re in unfamiliar territory here, but I hope we can at least _learn_ to like each other.”

“She’s been hangin’ around some of the girls,” Vin pointed out. “That has to mean something, right?”

“I don’t know. I’m thinkin’, what we need to do is interact with her a little more. Maybe she’ll start opening up or something.”

Both of them watched the others as they sent infrequent questioning looks in their direction.

“What do you suggest?” Vin frowned at him.

“Well,” he thought about it. “She needs to understand that she’s part of our team right now…” They would have to include her in some aspects of their lives. Even if she wasn’t temporary, she’d still have to work with the team and a good working relationship to Chris meant that everyone would have to spend some time with AJ if not befriend her. “We’ll need to schedule a team lunch on Friday,” Chris decided. “To make her feel included. It helped with you and Ezra,” he remembered.

Ezra and Vin were loners. When each had arrived to the team, they had been in AJ’s position now of being distant. The lunches and dinners had been a good way to gain the newest member’s trust and Chris fully expected it to work with AJ.

Vin nodded thoughtfully. “Saloon?”

“Is there anywhere else?”

** Later **

Buck sighed as he leant against the break room sink.

It wasn’t that he had a problem with integrating AJ into their group, it was that he’d tried.

Since they found that she would be working with them, he’d tried several times to make some sort of connection with her, but to no avail.

It was almost like she didn’t want to have anything to do with them. Buck just didn’t get it. If she was hanging out with some of their secretaries, then why wouldn’t she hang out with them? Maybe it was something they said or did? Or didn’t say or do?

Usually, Buck had no problem making friends with others, whether he wanted to date them or not. To have their temporary teammate blocking him at every turn was throwing him off.

He couldn’t understand it, he really couldn’t. Then again, he narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. Maybe he was trying too hard. As a matter of fact, AJ didn’t know him. What if the reason she’d been so distant with him was because she thought that Buck was hitting on her? Well, not that he wouldn’t, but she wasn’t actually his type. She was cute, though. She thought he was making passes at her and didn’t quite know how to let him down.

That had to be it!

‘Well, alright then,’ he straightened, rubbing his hands together. ‘All I gotta do is go out there and explain that I ain’t tryin’ to date her. That should be a start.’

With that in mind, Buck marched out of the break room and past his curious teammates to the doors to the office.

“Okay, Darlin’, listen…” he trailed off, frowning at her empty desk. Looking around, Buck reckoned she was in the seldom used women’s bathroom and ambled down that way to wait for her.

But as he got closer, he found that someone had already beaten him to her.

Buck never liked Arnold Westover, but he never could pin down a reason. This right here, on the other hand…

Buck took in the scene happening in front of him.

Westover had AJ against the corner, an arm barring her forward progress as he used the rest of his body to cage her in.

AJ wasn’t enjoying the encounter at all.

She held her body rigidly and it was clear that she didn’t want to be there. Buck could see that neither saw or heard him, so he backtracked a few feet and waited a minute before calling AJ again and barreling down the way he had come.

“There ya are, Darlin’!” he rounded the corner to find an unchanged scene in front of him. “Chris’s been lookin’ for you. When ya weren’t at your desk, I came lookin’.”

“Ah, Wilmington,” Westover smiled slightly as he glanced over his shoulder at him. “I was just telling Ms. AJ here that I could show her a nice place to eat lunch at on Friday.”

Buck had been told by Chris that they were planning a team lunch so that AJ could have some time with them to feel comfortable being around them at the office. It would probably help, seeing as AJ was a girl and all and probably wouldn’t be comfortable with a bunch of strange guys like them. “Sorry, Arnie,” Buck shrugged, stepping up next to them. “AJ’s gonna eat lunch with the rest of the team on Friday. Bonding, you understand.”

“Ah, a team thing,” now Buck could see his eyes as he was unable to before. He didn’t like the man’s smile as he turned his attention back to the brunette in his ‘cage’. “Well, Ms. AJ,” he smiled widely. “I look forward to the Auction this weekend.”

“Me, too,” Buck bared his teeth in a strained smile. “Us and the boys’ll be hangin’ around. We should have lunch sometime, huh, Arnie?” he clapped him on the shoulder.

“Thank you, but no,” Westover straightened, leaving AJ pressed against the wall, bespectacled grey eyes watching him warily. “I have some previous engagements.”

“Ah, sorry to hear that,” Buck propped an arm over AJ, slightly moving Arnie aside so that Buck was half between them. “Maybe another time, then.”

“Mr. Wilmington,” Ezra rounded the corner to find his teammate in a staring contest with Westover, their newest addition pressed against the wall between them. “May I enquire as to the nature of this particular interaction?”

“Hey, Ez,” Buck sent a grin at him. He slipped the arm propped on the wall down until it was draped over AJ. “We were just ‘bout to head on back to the office when Arnie here started tellin’ Darlin’ here about places to eat around town. I told him that AJ was already going to have lunch with us. Matter of fact, I was about to invite him to a future lunch, but he said he got ‘engagements’, so I guess AJ’ll be eatin’ with either us or them twins she adopted ‘til next week or somethin’. Maybe you could suggest a place for an uppity… guy like Arnie to take his dates?” Buck quickly herded AJ past before Ezra could refuse.

“Agent Wilmington?” AJ frowned slightly.

“Sorry, Darlin’,” Buck sighed, putting some space between them so she didn’t feel caged in anymore. “I had to step in. Didn’t look like you were havin’ fun.”

“I’m not a helpless damsel, Agent Wilmington,” she looked back down the hall. “I could have handled him.”

“Ain’t no one sayin’ ya are a ‘helpless damsel’,” whatever that was, “but I just didn’t like the way he was talkin’ to you. Trappin’ a lady ain’t how to talk to them.”

“I guess not,” she frowned slightly, heading back to her desk.

Buck nodded slightly. “Er, Darlin’? Chris ain’t really lookin’ for you. I came lookin’ cause I wanted to apologize.”

“Huh? Apologize?” she tilted her head. “For what?”

“If I’m givin’ you the wrong impression,” he ran a hand through his hair. “I was thinkin’ about how I been acting and I just wanted to tell you –”

“I know you’re not interested.”

“- sorry and that I’m not trying to put the moves… huh?” he blinked.

She smiled slightly. “I know you haven’t been trying to hit on me,” she clarified. “Believe me, I know how to tell the difference between friendly and interested. So, you don’t have to worry about it.”

He stared. “Uh, great? No, uh, listen. AJ, as glad as I am to know that you know I ain’t tryin’ to pressure you or anything. I want to make sure you know that if you have Arnie makin’ you uncomfortable – or anyone else for that matter – that I’d like you to come to me or any of the guys. Now,” he raised a hand. “I know you can handle things, but I mean, if you have anyone botherin’ you for anything, it would be a load off Chris’ mind – for one – to have you report any problems.”

“Oh,” she nodded thoughtfully. “It’s standard operating procedure for the female employees?”

“Sure!” he was quick to agree. Many of the women around here didn’t feel comfortable coming to a man for any problems there were experiencing. Making it sound like it was an order/ request would probably make her obligated to report back.

“Alright,” she nodded. “If I experience anything I’m not comfortable with, I will find you or any of the others and say something.”

Later, Buck and the team would realize that there was a foolproof way to make her keep to her word, but that was going to be a revelation for another time.

“That’s all I ask,” Buck smiled in relief to get that weight off his mind. He’d known that JD was worried about this since he’d overheard one of the Bureau Girls saying that women in government offices were more likely to not report problems in the work place. It’d make him feel better, too, now that he’d thought about it.

“I really could handle it, though.”

“Darlin’, when you are on this floor- in this building, even- you are my teammate,” he turned serious blue eyes on her. “I’d like to know that any of you know to come to me if you need someone to watch your back. Are we clear on this?”

AJ studied him before nodding seriously. “Yes.”

“Good man,” he reached out to squeeze her arm. “Er, girl. Remember, now,” he watched her round her desk to get to her chair. “Any problem, I want to be the first to know about it. Even if it has to do with me.”

Buck ambled back to the breakroom and found Chris studying him. “Hey, Hoss. What’s on the agenda?”

“Wasn’t expecting to give her the problem talk, yet,” he drawled. Buck knew him, though, and knew that Chris had more than likely had a word with her, too, to the same effect. “She hasn’t been here three weeks and she’s already having problems?”

“Nothin’ to worry about,” Buck waved him off. “Just backing your word.”

Chris frowned at him. “Keep me posted,” he said finally, trusting Buck to handle this.

“You can count on me.”

***


	7. Thursday, June 2, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In a few chapters' time, the rating will need to go up, I'm afraid.  
> As it is, I have one bad word in this chapter, but it's more of a surprised kind of thing.   
> I don't much have use for strong language in this series, but just a few select words.

**

JD rubbed his eyes as he and Buck left the elevator. They were running a little late, but it wasn’t enough to make much of a fuss. Ezra came in later for various reasons, so JD didn’t feel very bad.

There were about half-way down the hall when JD started smelling something _good_.

“JD, I think I’m still dreamin’,” Buck sniffed the air.

“That’s chocolate,” JD and Buck exchanged wide-eyed looks before racing down the hall and into the office where the smell was getting stronger.

“There you are,” Josiah smiled at their looks. “Sister Johnson seems to have set the bar rather high,” he told them, finishing off his chocolate chunk muffin.

JD dumped his things at his desk and hurried into the breakroom to find three big baskets filled with muffins. “Wow, AJ!” he grabbed a chocolate chip muffin and closed his eyes at the first bite.

“It _is_ good, AJ,” Nathan told her, both of them sitting next to the refrigerator with the remains of three muffins in front of them. “I expected donuts.”

“I thought I would try this muffin place down the street from my apartment,” she lifted a shoulder. “No big deal.”

Vin was sitting nearby with four folded wrappers and a glass of milk and working on a fifth. “I think the muffin place is a hit.”

“Me, too,” Buck agreed, biting into a chocolate chunk muffin.

“That’s good,” she nodded. “I’ll let them know you like their muffins.”

By the time any of them remembered Ezra, they’d pretty much demolished the muffins.

“Good afternoon, Gentlemen,” he ambled in, briefcase and coffee in hand.

“Hey, Ez,” Buck grinned. His smile suddenly fell as he looked at the others. “Uh, fellas?”

Chris had eaten three; Vin had six; JD had four: Buck had almost eight; as Nathan and Josiah also had four apiece… None of them knew how many AJ had – if she’d eaten any -, but it ended the same.

Nathan picked up the phone and dialed AJ’s desk. “Yeah, AJ? Can we see you in here?”

The door opened seconds later as AJ stepped in. “Agent Jackson? You wanted to see me?”

“Uh, Darlin’?” Buck raised a hand. “I know we all had a few, but how many of them muffins did you buy?”

“Yeah, AJ,” JD looked at the others. “Ezra didn’t get any.”

“There was enough,” she told them. “I made sure everyone got some.” She retreated back outside before any of them could formulate a response.

“Let me look again,” Josiah ambled back to look and shook his head as he returned. “Nothing.”

“Hell, Ezra, we didn’t even think,” JD felt terrible. “I’m sorry.”

“It cannot be helped, Mr. Dunne,” Ezra waved away his apology. Hurt feelings notwithstanding, Ezra understood that Ms. Johnson perhaps miscalculated the amount to bring to the office. She had, after all, no previous experience around Team Seven when there were delicious treats to be found.

“We’ll save some for you next time,” Buck promised.

Knowing they would beat themselves up for it, Ezra was trying to figure out what to say to them when he settled behind his desk. About to open the thin drawer above his lap, his sharp emerald eyes caught something out of place. The bigger three drawers were usually closed tightly the way he left them before leaving for home the previous day.

The bottom drawer had the confidential files that he kept locked. The first drawer usually had extra clothes and some of the more general files. The second one, however, only held a locked strongbox that Ezra would open alone every third of the month. There was no reason for it to have been opened. The others knew not to touch his desk unless it was for office supplies. The second drawer - the one that had no reason to have been opened – was cracked open, but not enough to see if anything was inside.

Glancing around at the others, he wondered which one of them was about to unleash the latest prank and slowly eased the drawer open.

“Mr. Tanner,” he blinked before looking up. “Did you happen to be the first to reach the office?”

He glanced at him. “Nope. Josiah was.”

Ezra turned to him. “Mr. Sanchez, is it true that you were the first of us to arrive?”

“After Sister Johnson, of course,” he told him.

“I see. And did you witness Ms. Johnson settle in?”

“No. Everything was already set out when I got in. Why?”

“So, none of us here could claim to have witnessed Ms. Johnson set out the exact number of pastries that were present upon arrival?”

“Ezra,” Nathan frowned. “What are you trying to say?”

He gave him a small smile. “Thank you, Mr. Sanchez, for leading me to an explanation for this,” he reached into the open drawer and held up the small paper plate for them to see, three muffins crowded onto it.

“I’ll be damned!” Buck laughed. “She hid some for Ezra!”

“Hiding the muffins in your desk was clever,” Nathan shook his head. “That way, only you would know where they are.”

Vin tilted his head and smiled slightly as Ezra turned back to this desk, unpeeling a muffin. Turning his eyes to the door leading out, he couldn’t help wondering about AJ.

Making a decision, Vin rifled through his desk and smiled to himself as he came up with a blank pocket notebook. Flipping it open, he grabbed a pen and scribbled the date and time.

_Entry 1_

_AJ hid muffins in Ezra’s desk. Clever; knows to keep some hidden away from general eyes._

It had been something that Vin started when he joined Team Seven. He had a locked box at home that held six similar notebooks filled with similar notes about each of his ‘brothers’. It helped him get a feel for their overall personalities and let him connect better with them.

Now, he was going to employ that same strategy with AJ.

For however long she was with them.

 **


	8. Friday, June 3, 2011

Nathan looked up from his screen and smiled warmly as he found AJ near the door, ready for lunch. “Hey, AJ. Ready for lunch?”

She nodded. “Agent Larabee told me yesterday.”

Nathan logged off the computer and stood. “Well, Josiah and Ezra are going to meet us there. You already know that Chris is on his way back from court and Buck is going to be riding with him. Vin and JD are working with the Denver PD, so I guess it’s just the two of us heading down. You’ll like the Saloon,” he assured, swinging his chair back under the desk. Nathan grabbed his keys, wallet and phone, leading AJ out and locking the door behind them.

AJ followed him to the elevator and they waited for the lift.

Nathan glanced down at her.

She had her hair up again, in a twist this time. Since the 23rd, they had yet to see her with her hair down. It was a pretty brown, though.

She had wireframe, black glasses and pretty grey eyes. She dressed a bit too professionally for them – with a skirt and button-up with a light over sweater.

She didn’t seem to dress… with a personality, as Buck had once said. Sure, they all dressed professionally, but really just for court or something. Even now, Nathan had slacks and a green polo on.

Chris told them that they could wear jeans when nothing else was going on. Ezra wore a tie clip that Vin had given him for Christmas and would sometimes wear a tie that one of them had given him for whatever reason.

AJ, on the hand, wore blouse, cover, skirt, high heels and her hair up. No jewelry. Except…

Nathan glanced at her left wrist.

It was covered with a black band. JD had noticed it first the other day, when AJ’s sleeve rode up a little as she was handing a file to Josiah.

Buck said that it wasn’t a wristband, because it didn’t feel like a soft and fuzzy wrap. It felt rough and braided. As far as any of them could tell, the band couldn’t be taken off. It was an inch and a half wide and there were no discernible markings on it.

That was the only thing that made her appearance personal in any way.

They had to wonder why she didn’t wear jewelry except for that band and what the story was behind it.

The doors opened and they stepped in. Pushing the button for the garage, Nathan watched the lights go down as he thought about it.

All the other secretaries had something to mark their personalities.

Jodie and Josie Landon, for example, each wore a pendant that made a heart when put side by side. They had different hairstyles, too, but would sometimes answer to the other’s name.

Arina Yoka had hair ribbons that she would wear every day without fail, one color for each day of the week.

Tammy Sallin could be counted on for hair bands and at least two things on her right arm, be it bracelet or hair tie.

Even the female agents had something they wore.

AJ…

Nathan would have thought the Bureau Girls dressed the same, but he’d seen them wearing jewelry and hair accessories and bracelets.

“Why is it called the Saloon?”

He blinked, being thrown from his thoughts. “It’s a Mexican place. Inez Recillos runs it. It’s got Western paraphernalia all over the place.”

“Josie said that they call you the Magnificent Seven,” she noted.

“Yeah,” he smiled ruefully. “Have you seen the movies?”

“Only the _Samurai_ ,” she said after a minute.

They found themselves in the garage and Nathan steered her toward his car. “Not the American version?”

“The American version is a more light hearted version of the original story.”

“But I thought,” Nathan frowned, climbing behind the wheel. “The American version of the _Seven Samurai_ was inspired by it?”

“Technically. But there’s a story from the old West that actually inspired the Magnificent Seven.”

Nathan wasn’t entirely sure, but he’d always thought that _Samurai_ inspired _Seven_. “What’s the story from the old West?”

AJ frowned slightly, thinking. “It’s mostly lost to history,” she explained as he pulled out of the garage, “but there’s this old Western town and in the late 1800’s, there were seven men that were hired to protect the town. They did what a lot of people thought was impossible. They policed the town and the town prospered. I’m not sure what happened to the Seven or the town. I just know that they were famous. I heard the story from one of my dorm mates some time ago. We didn’t finish the conversation, so I don’t know the location of the town or who the men were. I just know that the legend of Seven started in the old West.”

“I never heard of it,” he navigated the streets. “Well, when you get a chance to call them, ask about it and let me know what happened.”

“Okay.”

Nathan found a place to park next to Ezra’s Jag and they entered the restaurant.

He well remembered his first visit and glanced at AJ to see her reaction and was surprised to see what looked like nostalgia cross her face before it was gone.

“Brother Jackson, Sister Johnson,” Josiah hailed them from their usual table near the back. “The rest of us should be arriving shortly.”

As they settled in, Inez swung by with Josiah and Ezra’s drinks. “Senor Nathan,” she smiled in greeting. “And who is your lovely new friend?”

“Her name’s AJ,” Nathan nodded. “Some paperwork snafu and she was put with us for the Swap.”

“Oh,” she smiled. “Senorita is a ‘Bureau Girl’, then?”

“I guess you would know,” AJ looked around. “Seems to be a fair number of government employees in here.”

“Right,” Inez smiled slightly. “So, how do you like it with Senor Chris and his team?”

“It could be worse, I suppose,” AJ smiled shyly. “They are all very good men.”

“That, they are,” she agreed. Soon, Inez left to fulfill their drink orders and attend to her other customers.

“Ms. Johnson,” Ezra studied her from his seat across from Josiah. “You appear to have a distracted expression. May I enquire as to the reason?”

“Hm? Oh, um, I was just looking around,” she straightened.

“It is a nice place,” Josiah agreed. “We’ve spent many a meal here over the years.”

“Not all pleasant,” Ezra said dryly. Nathan and Josiah nodded in agreement.

There were quite a few times in the past where they had sat through a meal while waiting to hear word of a friend, be it one of them or another.

Some of the time, it didn’t turn out well.

There were other times, still, that the company left much to be desired.

Still, this was the team’s restaurant and they could usually be found in the restaurant hanging around and joking with whoever was available.

“Howdy, Fellas, Darlin’,” Buck ambled over, swinging an empty chair around to straddle it.

“Hey, Buck,” Nathan turned to watch Chris stroll toward them, talking to a younger man. “Who’s that Chis is talking to?”

“Actually,” Buck glanced back. “Says his name is Blake Allen.”

Ezra didn’t miss AJ turning to look or the recognition that crossed her face. “Ms. Johnson, am I correct in assuming that you are familiar with Mr. Allen?”

“Agent,” she turned back to him. “Agent Allen transferred into Civil Rights three months ago.”

Chris looked up as they came up to them. “Blake Allen, you met Buck. The rest is Nathan Jackson, Ezra Standish and Josiah Sanchez. Johnson, here, seems to go only by AJ,” he smiled slightly at her, inviting her to share the joke. It went over her head as she was staring at Allen.

Blake was a good looking kind of guy, if Nathan was any judge. He had artfully tousled black hair and pretty green eyes. He was maybe a bit taller than Vin, though a little bulkier. Nathan wasn’t sure what she thought was cute, so…

Blake immediately spotted her and smiled widely. “Ms. AJ!” he gave her a once over. “Boss’ll be happy to know that you’re being taken care of over here.”

“Hello, Agent Allen,” she seemed to be almost tolerant of him. Well, she didn’t seem to be as distant with him as she was with them.

“I told you,” he smiled slightly. “I’m not going to beat you up if you called me ‘Blake’.”

“Yes, sir,” she lifted a shoulder.

“See what I have to put up with?” Blake chuckled as he turned to the others. “Maybe you boys could help a guy out and help AJ here learn to play with others. Not that she’s terrible to work with or anything,” he hastily added. “She’s a true diamond that needs to be polished by careful hands. It’s just that Lowe’s been piling on the work for her and I’m concerned that she isn’t handling it as well as she could be.”

“Don’t you worry about that, Pard,” Buck assured. “We’ll take good care of her. Why, we’ll be so careful that she’ll go back as pretty as one of them diamonds.”

“Mr. Allen,” Ezra frowned. “Correct me if I am mistaken, but… Are diamonds not one of the hardest type of gem in the world?”

Josiah nodded. “It takes a lot to break a diamond.”

“Not if one knows how to,” Blake noted. He snagged a chair and dropped into it. “Hope you don’t mind, but I have orders to have lunch with AJ at least once a week.”

“Well, we weren’t expecting you,” Nathan frowned. “Chris, wasn’t it going to be just the eight of us?”

“That was the plan,” Chris sighed. “But if Lowe’s behind this, then I guess we’ll just have to make do.”

“I really am sorry,” Allen apologized. “I’ve just been really busy this past week and just saw my chance and took it.”

Once Inez had taken their drink orders again, Buck leaned toward Allen. “So, anythin’ we need to be keepin’ an eye out for with her?” he nodded at AJ, who seemed to take no interest in the conversation.

“Not that I can think of,” he shook his head. “Although, if you ever need to send something to a girl,” he grinned, “AJ’s the one to go to.”

“Might want to keep that in mind, Brother,” Josiah grinned at Buck.

Vin and JD got there a few minutes later, just as Inez started dropping off food.

“So, you work with AJ?” JD questioned.

“Yup. She’s very good at what she does,” Allen nodded.

“We know. She’s been a big help with some of the paperwork."

“Boys,” Vin piped up. “She _is_ sittin’ right here, ya know.”

AJ looked up from her salad. “That’s okay,” she shrugged.

Chris glanced around. This wasn’t the lunch he had planned on. Watching Allen, he frowned slightly. Maybe if he could eat lunch with AJ first thing next week, the team could try again next Friday.

It was a quiet lunch, though.

Blake Allen seemed to be an alright guy. For a Fed. But it was interesting, the way he kept watching AJ. Someone would think he liked her.

Buck even joked about it back at the office.

“Seems like you got someone sweet on you, Darlin’,” he grinned as she settled back behind her desk.

She blinked. “I don’t get that from him,” she said, almost to herself. “I always thought it was because he thinks he needs to protect me or something.”

Buck wasn’t convinced.


	9. Saturday, June 4, 2011

The day of the Secretary Swap Auction was upon them and everyone was getting ready. Even the most reluctant of participants.

“Now, kid,” Buck scolded. “We gotta look nice for all these pretty ladies that’ll be hangin’ around.”

“But why do _I_ need a haircut?” he complained, dragging his feet.

Josiah chuckled, having invited himself along. “Now, Brother JD. Won’t Sister Johnson be surprised to see us all dressed up for support?”

“I’d think she’d be surprised to see us there at _all_ ,” he grumbled.

Buck held the door open to Star Struck, a new place that opened up about a year ago. Buck had been there once or twice before, but the price range was well within his limit and the staff were all nice folks. “Kid, we all said we’d be there and be there we will be.”

The three of them walked into the waiting room that held eight chairs, a magazine rack, a small television and a small area that held nine drying chairs, four of which were in use.

“Nice place,” JD looked around.

Buck walked up to the reception desk and rang the little bell. “Anybody home?”

JD and Josiah found seats near the wall and settled in as a tall, curly haired blonde stumbled up to the desk.

“Oh, hi, yes. We’re open,” she smiled brightly, green eyes studying them. Her name tag read ‘Gia’.

“Yeah, the kid needs a trim and I need a touch-up, as well.”

“Oh, sure. Yeah, you two can come on back.”

JD jumped up and followed Buck to the back where four women were also getting their hair done.

Gia set them up before moving back to her station where her own client waited for the next step. JD was across from them and was admiring the handmade sign proclaiming the station as Gia’s, when his eyes fell to the brunette being worked on.

She had pretty brown hair that fell almost to her elbows. She had obviously just had a shampoo and wash and her hair was dripping slightly as it covered her face. In fact, the only thing he could see of her face was a pair of… familiar… grey…

“AJ?” he grinned at her. “You come here, too?”

“Huh?” Gia turned as Buck added his own greeting. “You all know each other?”

“Oh, sure,” Buck smiled widely. “Why, Darlin’ here is the reason why we’re goin’ out to this thing.”

“Oh, the Swap?” Gia smiled knowingly. “Yes. I’ve been hearing about that all week, let me tell you. AJ, I didn’t know you were put in the Swap.”

“Oh, yeah,” JD nodded. “She was put with us by accident. But, see, we already think of her as part of the team until she gets put back with her regular office.”

“I see,” Gia nodded. “Well, good luck, huh, AJ?”

“Thanks,” she smiled slightly.

As Buck watched the two, he started to notice that the way AJ acted with Gia was more relaxed than her interactions with the Landon twins and the other two girls, but even with them, she was starting to let close. Then JD would contribute to the conversation and AJ would go back to being their distant co-worker.

Buck noticed and Gia noticed. But only one of them knew what it really meant.

Once Gia had finished, AJ had a trim and smiled at her. “Same time next month?”

Gia winked “You know it.” She waited until AJ had rounded the corner and Josiah could be heard greeting her, before green eyes looked around. “You know,” she said conversationally. “AJ has been my regular since we opened. I had not known anyone in Denver and I was out of my comfort zone. AJ helped me out a lot and I wish I could do the same. I’d like to think we’re closer than stylist and customer, but I really don’t know. But you two… I think there’s a potential for a real friendship.”

“Do you give all her co-workers that speech?” Buck joked.

“No,” she shook her head. “Not all her co-workers are nice people.”

“Well, that _is_ what happens in government agencies,” JD pointed out. “Not all people are nice.”

“Or appear to be,” Buck added. “Well, either being nice or not, mostly it’s a front.”

Gia gave him a disbelieving look. “Not all of it.”

***

Arina could admit to not being in on the latest style in dresses, but under no circumstances were Jodie and Josie Landon allowed to pick her dresses again, especially after the Thanksgiving debacle.

But, they apparently wanted to supervise, so that how she, Tammy and the twins all ended up at the mall exactly four hours before the Auction.

The latter three had already gotten theirs over the course of the week, but Arina had been so busy that she kind of forgot about all of it.

But store after store, they couldn’t find anything.

“Don’t worry, Rini,” Tammy wrapped an arm around her best friend. “There’s got to be _something_ here you could like.”

Josie frowned thoughtfully. “Hey, sis. Remember that store?”

“Good thinkin’, Si,” Jodie snapped her fingers. “Never been in, but I’m sure there’s some dressy stuff for you.”

The twins led the way up the stairs – again – and past the upstairs food court. They hung a left at the potted tree and found themselves in front of large bay windows. It was actually a nice looking store, Supernova.

Evidently, whoever came up with the name probably had an unhealthy fixation with Astronomy or too much to drink. But, either way, Supernova seemed to be a popular store as far as the four could see.

Men and women of all types were scouting the racks, looking for something that called to them.

There was an area in the middle of the store that people could sit and pass the time, big viewing windows let them people watch.

Jodie led the way to the middle space to plan their attack.

One of the things that the twins taught them was to list any target colors. The first colors were the ones that looked good. The secondary colors were what you were partial to.

“Alright, ladies,” Josie found seats facing each other. Giant foam blocks were put everywhere, paired with either regular chairs or beanbags. “Arina needs colors. Dark colors.”

“Green,” Tammy offered.

“Maroon,” Jodie ticked off a finger.

“Blue,” AJ put in.

“Yeah,” Josie eyed Arina. “Blue _does_ look – ” she did a double take. “Johnson? What’re you doing here?”

“Here specifically or here in Denver?” she asked dryly.

“You’re here for the Auction, then?” Arina smiled slightly. Their FBI friend was perched right next to her. No one had seen her sitting there because of the magazine she’d been reading in front of her face.

“Yeah,” AJ fiddled with the corner of the magazine.

“Well, well,” Jodie grinned. “More the merrier.” She waved her over. “We can do something for you, too.”

Tammy frowned suddenly. “Does anyone else feel like we’re being watched?”

AJ glanced at her. “Look over my left shoulder and tell me if you see someone looking in our direction.”

The four of them looked behind her and it was Tammy that spotted the pair of black eyes narrowed in their direction, peering over a nearby foam block.

“There,” she pointed.

“Usually, she’s not this transparent,” AJ noted, smiling slightly. “Jackie, there’s a thing called ‘stalking’.”

“I am not!” Jackie shot up, revealing spiky black hair cropped close to her head. Black eyes shot fire as she stomped over. “I was just looking out for you, is that a crime?”

“Guys, this is Jackie Rivers,” AJ waved at her. “She’s kind of possessive.”

Jodie exchanged looks with her twin as Arina gave the new arrival a once over.

Jackie Rivers wore the female employee’s uniform of light blue polo and dark brown capris. She seemed to be AJ’s height, which also put her at Arina’s eye level. On Jackie’s left wrist was a blue wristband with the Supernova name on it, as a few of the other visible employees were wearing.

Tammy tilted her head. “Are you AJ’s best friend? You sort of act like it.”

“Hm? Oh, what? You think AJ’s special?” Jackie huffed. “Well, let me tell you something: she’s really not.”

“Jackie’s always acted like she’s everyone’s best friend,” AJ shrugged. “Hang around long enough and you’ll get the same treatment.”

“I doubt that, somehow,” Josie murmured to her twin, who nodded thoughtfully. Speaking up, she entered the conversation. “So, since Johnson here’s looking for her own dress, she’ll be hangin’ out with us as we’re looking for Ari’s.”

“But you _would_ look nice in blue,” AJ told Arina.

“I can see that,” Jackie turned an assessing eye on the Japanese American. “But, as for AJ, of course – ”

“Would you just give it a rest for today?” AJ rolled her eyes. Arina was sort of surprised, though, because AJ didn’t usually give any of the other girls this behavior. “I told you. Whatever is driving this obsession with seeing me in teal, it’s going to be a long while before I comply.”

“But that isn’t no,” Jackie cheerfully pointed out. By the sounds of it, the pair have had this conversation before…

In any case, she immediately got down to business as she circled Arina, making her feel exposed to black eyes. “Alright,” she made her third circle and turned to AJ. “Give me a minute and I’ll get back to you.”

She came back a few minutes later with a few dresses of varying styles.

Arina and the other three were directed to a fitting room – one of many scattered throughout the floor apart from a main group located along the walls – as AJ followed Jackie to locations unknown.

After trying three dresses and modeling, Arina looked over the last two dresses.

Jodie poked her head inside the curtain. “Try that purple one,” she ordered. “Give me the pastel and the green one. We’ll keep those and get Rivers to put those back and get different colors of these with the style of that purple one.”

Frankly, Arina sort of liked the purple one. Oh, it wasn’t as daring as the others, but she was partial to the flower print.

When she came out again, AJ was sitting out with the others, a bag already at her side.

“Johnson ain’t lettin’ us see until tonight,” Josie wrinkled her nose with distaste.

“Why not?” Tammy defended. “She can let us see along with everyone else if she wants to.”

“ **But I want to see** ,” the twins chorused.

“But the Auction isn’t far away now,” AJ pointed out.

“So, what are _you_ still doin’ here?” Josie eyed her.

“It won’t take much,” AJ waved her off.

“I think you’re perfect the way you are,” Jackie piped up adoringly, appearing off to their right. “Wow, Ari,” she looked her up and down. “You wear that really nice.”

“S’alright,” Jodie circled her.

“But AJ’s the one we need to focus on,” Arina protested. “Her and the rest of the Bureau Girls are the focus on tonight’s stage.”

“Don’t mean ya cain’t look nice,” Josie advised. “C’mon, Ari. How long you known us already?”

“So, AJ,” Tammy turned to her. “Are you nervous for tonight?”

“Not really,” she lifted a shoulder. “I’ve done more nerve-wracking things.”

“Like what?” she was sorry she asked as AJ looked away, but not before Tammy caught a look she was hard-pressed to name.

After a half hour, the twins shuffled AJ off for her grand appearance.

**

Chris had only been to an Auction once and that had been when he had first joined the Agency.

He hadn’t been back since and he now remembered why.

He had swung by to pick Vin up and they followed the torchbearers to a parking spot. The sniper had never actually been to one, so this was a new experience for him.

The pair got out and hurried to join the crowd already heading in. Volunteers handed out programs at the door after a quick security pass through.

“There they are!” the two heard JD before they saw him, ducking past a group of secretaries to get to them. Nathan, Ezra, Josiah and Buck followed at a more sedate pace.

“Almost an hour until the festivities begin,” Ezra informed them, straightening his already immaculate green vest.

‘Nathan had been right,’ Chris and Nathan grinned at each other. ‘He really _could_ have been a riverboat gambler.’

It was something of a joke that had started their first New Year’s Eve celebration as a team, when the green vest had first appeared as a gift from his mother.

JD was looking around at every one and thing as more people started arriving. “It looks like almost everyone is here from the building!”

“Wouldn’t surprise me, kid,” Buck poked him. “It _is_ a company event, after all.” There were a few agents who apparently had no other plans or were tweaking some details on upcoming busts.

“Hey, d’you think AJ’s here yet?” JD questioned. She had apparently decided to meet them there, even though the guys had offered to drive her.

“She should,” Josiah glanced at his watch. “At least the first twenty five should have been here by now. The first half of the Auction kicks off soon.”

Technically, the team could have waited to arrive until later, but they didn’t do things by halves. That meant that if their teammate was going to be up on stage three hours before they needed to get there, then three hours early they would be. It was just what the team did to show their support and Chris hoped AJ understood that they counted her as one of their own until their time came to an end.

But even so, Chris hoped she kept in touch with them when she went back to the Bureau. It was something of a habit to keep track of their former people. Well, the ones they got along with. Since AJ was in a position so close to them, Chris knew their experience would be fondly remembered for years to come.

But, again, they needed to find a connection with her, first.

“Look,” JD pointed. “It’s Mrs. Travis.”

The others looked to see the blonde newspaperwoman heading in their direction.

“There you boys are,” she smiled warmly at her father-in-law’s elite team. “Here for someone in particular?”

“Yeah, AJ Johnson,” JD piped up, bouncing in place. “Have you met her yet? She’s awesome.”

“She must be if she’s got _all_ of you here,” Mary gave Chris a knowing look. He gave a shrug in response.

Josiah looked around. “Quite a crowd for the Secretary session,” he noted.

“Well, yes,” Mary nodded. “If you look in the program, you can see that anyone can be invited to stay. There will be sandwiches after the first half, so that everyone can get to better know the secretaries on offer. After that, then the Agents have their turn.”

The entire program was set to end at midnight with 'dinner' served at nine. It was almost seven, now.

Nathan nodded before he spotted the four secretaries that AJ had befriended coming toward them. “Good evening, girls,” he greeted when they got closer.

“Jackson,” one of the twins gave him a once over. The big black bow in her hair complemented the red a black dress she wore. The other one had on a dark green hat set at an angle, her green dress matched. Arina had on a pretty blue dress as Tammy dazzled in purple.

“Mrs. Travis,” Tammy meekly spoke up. “I think… I mean, do you know what order the Girls are in? Because it’s not alphabetical by any name, unless AJ’s middle name is Z…”

“No,” Mary crossed her arms as Arina and the twins brandished their own copies. “I was led to understand that the order they have been listed is the order in which they had their names drawn in the Raffle.”

That had clearly been the wrong answer as the four stared at her, then back down at their books before looking at each other in something approaching disbelief.

One twin gave a low whistle as the other shook her head.

“Johnson _wasn’t_ kiddin’ when she said last minute,” she mused, handing the program to JD, a painted fingernail tapping it.

Mary looked down at her own as the boys looked over shoulders.

JD shook his head. “What are we looking at, exactly?”

“The names of all the Girls on tonight,” Arina told him. “Look on the last page.”

Vin was already flipping through, frowning deeper as AJ’s name eluded him. Then again, he didn’t actually know what her real name was, but many of the Girls were going by nicknames, too. After it was clear that AJ wasn’t in the first ten, the second ten, or the third ten, JD looked up.

“She _is_ in here, right?” he asked anxiously.

“Keep lookin’,” a twin advised.

Buck whistled as he looked over Vin’s shoulder, the Texan coming to the last page. “Number 51. AJ Johnson,” Buck read.

“She’s the very last one?” Nathan frowned.

“What a way to make a girl feel good about herself,” Mary shook her head.

“Chris,” Buck looked up at him. “Just what kind of screw-up was this?”

“Human error, I think,” the blond sighed. No wonder the girl didn’t make an effort to connect with them. He wouldn’t either, if he’d been placed with a team that didn’t want a secretary in the _first_ place as a result of a screw-up that happened at the very last minute.

“Johnson ain’t exactly lucky, is she?” one of the twins shook her head.

The boys all looked at each other. Now, they were determined to get through to her. No one should have to be picked last at anything and they _definitely_ didn’t deserve getting placed with a team that constantly reminded her that her time was numbered on top of that.

She was probably thinking that they didn’t want her near them, but that wasn’t true. She very likely thought that connecting was overrated when she wouldn’t be with them for long.

Chris was glad they knew now just how upsetting this must be for her. Being constantly reminded that she was temporary must also be hitting a nerve. Now that the boys knew something about this, they could now react in a fitting manner.

That didn’t quite mean to mob the poor thing when she got there twenty minutes later.

JD immediately grabbed her for a comforting hug. “We don’t think you’re the last of anything,” he told her.

“Yeah, Johnson,” one of the twins nodded. “Best for last and all.”

“We saw the program,” Tammy showed AJ. “You were picked last and everything.”

“Yup,” AJ shrugged. “Somebody had to be.”

“Kinda cavalier about this, aren’t you?” Nathan frowned.

“I’m used to it.”

The call came for the secretaries to go in and the quartet left, Mary after them.

“I don’t think you need to be here, yet,” Buck told AJ.

“I didn’t want to sit around waiting,” she told him.

“I can understand that,” JD added. “It’s terrible just waiting for something like this.”

The few other agents already there were heading to the little snack bar that would close before the end of the first half. The eight members of Team Seven headed there, too.

It was as Josiah was watching AJ beside him that he finally realized what was different about her.

“You look nice, Sister,” he rumbled.

She blinked up at him before glancing down at herself. “Oh, yeah. Thanks, Agent Sanchez.”

“Oh, you do!” JD agreed.

The blue dress had a mandarin collar and the sleeves came almost to elbow length. Her hair was up in a fancy twist, though she still wore her glasses.

Chris nodded thoughtfully. “Look better without the glasses,” the words were out before he knew it and winced. He – of them all – should have known better than to critique a woman’s appearance.

To his surprise, she didn’t puff up in injured offense.

“It’s best to know what you’re in for,” she sagely advised. “I don’t wear lenses that much. Don’t give the image of being something you’re not.” Chris noted that she seemed to be quoting someone and wondered who before shoving that in a corner and returning to the conversation.

**

Tammy sighed as Secretary 13 hopped off the stage to amble over to… Tammy had seen her before, but couldn’t remember that woman’s name to save her life.

Arina seemed to be interested, but Tammy knew better. The twins weren’t even trying or pretending to. They were whispering about… family gossip, Tammy noted.

She looked around to see various states of interest – or lack thereof. Probably because they were waiting for whomever they had already marked. Like her, Rini and the twins.

Becky Worth was a few rows to her left, but also seemed to be waiting for someone.

It seemed like forever before the last few were being called up.

Singles or groups of ATF girls clustered around their prize(s), and it was a good thing that more than one could make a claim.

As soon as number 50 walked off the small stage, Tammy straightened. She would be the first to make a bid, then the others if she was contested.

Josie had predicted an easy buy and it really did look that way, but Jodie had said that everyone knew that they had staked the first claim by including AJ in their lunches.

“… and as a very special addition to our ATF family, AJ Johnson. Now, AJ here, has been placed with Agent Larabee’s Team Seven. Normally,” the announcer – this year Daphne deLise, a real sweetheart at the office – adjusted her papers, “we only have just fifty girls. Unfortunately, there was an incident and we gained an extra.

“However, we are pleased to welcome her – as we would any of her Sisters – and would do anything to make her feel at home with us. As we are aware, each of us has had to fill out a questionnaire before the Raffle in case any of us were picked. AJ – through uncontrollable events – had not had that chance. So, I took the liberty of having a sit down with her yesterday to come up with some answers.

“Her favorite colors are blue and forest green; she has no known allergies to pets or any of the usual pests outside. She has a dislike for quite a number of vegetables, but cannot easily ingest oranges. She has a wonderful sense of humor and a friend when you need one. She is a hard worker and a beautiful person. Anything you need her to do or help with, there is not a doubt in my mind that she’ll do it.

“Why don’t we start with our usual five dollars?”

Tammy, Becky and a handful of others raised their hands.

“Ten dollars?”

Arina was the only thing that changed in that response.

A few bids later, the quartet and Becky were the only ones left.

“Well, AJ,” Daphne the announcer threw her a smile. “You’ve already cast quite the spell on our audience.”

Tammy glanced at the twins and blinked as she found them glaring at Becky.

Both Tammy and Arina knew that the pair were competitive, but the strength of the Becky aimed glare startled Tammy. But while that may have startled her, Tammy was downright shocked at the smirk on Becky’s face. It almost seemed like Becky was taunting them as she raised her hand for another bid.

Jodie’s hand shot up as well.

When the bidding finally reached seventy, all of the other girls were paying attention to the strange competition.

“Maybe you should give up,” one of the nearest girls advised Tammy. “Becky’s not going to be happy.”

“Who cares?” Josie hissed from the corner of her mouth.

“Alright,” Daphne took the podium once more. “I’m afraid we’re nearing our limit.”

“I’ll go for two hundred, Daphne,” Becky fluttered her eyelashes.

“I say two-oh-five,” Jodie announced. “The four of us can split.”

“Two-oh-nine,” Josie added.

Arina didn’t take to many people easily, but those she did had yet to regret it. She straightened. “Two-fifteen,” she glanced at the twins, who beamed in approval.

“Two-twenty-five,” Becky countered, confident of her win.

Her smug tone had never sat well with Tammy, but even more so now.

AJ was Tammy’s friend, not Becky’s. Tammy could only imagine what Bully Becky – as Tammy thought of her as – would do to someone as nice as AJ and AJ just didn’t deserve anything like that.

“Three hundred,” Tammy resolutely stared up at AJ on stage, who seemed both fascinated and puzzled at the same time. The redhead wasn’t sitting close enough to tell for sure, but she could swear that AJ’s expression turned to relief.

“Ladies, we have gone past the limit,” Daphne protested. “Even so, I am going to have to say that Tammy, Jodie, Arina and Josie have gotten their wish.”

The four grinned in victory, the twins letting out a whoop. Tammy noted Becky rolling her eyes, before taking a call. There was just something off, here, Tammy just didn’t know what.

“Hey, Johnson,” Josie hooted, grabbing the smaller girl as she got close enough. “Sorry for the wait.”

“I don’t like Becky, either,” AJ ruefully admitted.

“Nobody does,” Jodie sniffed, eying the other. Becky was still on the phone, but she seemed to be relaxing. Tammy hadn’t even realized until then that Becky was anxious.

She was still puzzling over it as the five finally left to follow the crowd of other girls.

Those who immediately left had other plans, but even with them gone, there was still an impressive number to mingle with all the agents that had arrived while the secretaries had their part of the Auction.

Tammy had seen all the agents in the building dressed for various reasons at one time or another, but this event ensured that everyone dressed to impress.

And Tammy really was, indeed.

Especially Team Seven, who – by all rights – didn’t really need the clothes to look good, but they made a _very_ nice image all told.

** 

Buck spotted them first. “So?” he looked to AJ.

“They won,” she reported. “Against Rebecca.”

“Who’s Rebecca?” JD frowned at her.

“I believe Ms. Johnson is referring to Ms. Worth,” Ezra pointed out.

“That’s Rebecca,” AJ agreed.

“She don’t like her full name,” Josie told her. “Don’t know why, but she don’t.”

“And Becky didn’t seem to want to let us win,” Arina added to Josiah. “Daphne gave her to us.”

“…I sort of feel like some kind of pity prize,” AJ mused.

“Well, you ain’t,” Jodie reassured. “I don’t see why there’s a limit on how much we can give these people. Figured they’d be happy to get so much.”

“Well, now, Sister,” Josiah spoke up. “There is a reason for that.”

“Especially in this economy,” Buck added. “Probably don’t want to make it seem like we’re being tapped.”

“But the agents have a five hundred dollar limit,” Arina pointed out. “Especially since a lot of the agents seemed to be grouping together.”

“Sharing _is_ pretty popular,” JD noted.

“They go half on one,” Nathan explained. “Then they can pool together for another if they want.”

“The girls would still have to do things for the ones who bought them in the first place,” Josie sighed.

Mary grinned as she walked up to them. “Congratulations,” she told the quartet.

“Aw, shucks, Miz Travis,” Jodie played coy. “Ain’t nothin’ we couldn’t handle.”

“Well, Becky didn’t seem happy at first,” Mary recalled. “Then she took that call and seemed to relax.”

“Don’t get why she was so tense to start with,” Josie shook her head. “I get the feelin’ she don’t like Johnson.”

“Why not?” JD tilted his head as the crowd headed to dinner. “It’s hard to figure that anyone doesn’t like AJ.”

“She could lighten up a mite,” Vin suggested.

“Don’t I know it,” Jodie huffed, elbowing the brunette in question, who seemed to be off in her own world. “What _did_ you do to Becky?”

“Don’t know,” AJ came back to herself.

The team picked up their preferred sandwiches, chips and sodas before finding a table. They invited the girls to eat with them since AJ was already considered as part of the team.

Buck immediately tucked his napkin into his shirt and dug in.

“They want to make a good impression,” Buck flicked a glance at Arina as she was talking to AJ, who was looking around. “It’s a little late, yeah, but it’s supposed to make you feel like you’re one of us.”

“Yeah, Johnson,” Jodie called from Buck’s other side. “You feel like one of us, yet?”

“No.”

“Well, don’t just answer,” JD encouraged, taken aback at her quick answer. “Take a minute to think about it.”

“Don’t rush her now,” Josie added.

“Buck!”

The group turned to see Becky being escorted by Arnie Westover.

“Well, Good evenin’, Ms. Becky,” Buck smiled his most charming. “Havin’ a good time tonight?”

“Now that I’ve seen you, I am,” she fluttered her eyelashes.

The twins rolled their eyes at her, well used to this behavior by now, as Tammy and Arina sighed.

“Gentlemen,” Arnie gave a nod. “Good luck tonight.”

“You, too,” JD grinned. “Hope whoever you bid on is someone you win.”

“Who will you be bidding for, anyway?”

“Well, my hope is to spend some time with your new friend,” Arnie smiled easily.

“Well, now,” Nathan grinned. “Looks like some of us have some competition, don’t we, fellas?”

“Hm?” Buck blinked, turning from Becky. “Competition for who?”

“Agent Westover’s going to be bidding for AJ, too,” JD answered.

“He is?” Buck glanced at the agent in question, who gave him a challenging smile. Buck well remembered finding AJ caged into a corner by Arnie and frowned. He knew from experience that a woman was desirable because of many factors, but to someone like him and Arnie, a woman who was the most desirable was the one who appeared to have no interest at all.

AJ was the absolute _perfect_ challenge. Buck felt his eyes narrow thoughtfully. He knew well that he backed off when a woman showed no interest at all. The way Arnie was smiling at AJ, however, made Buck frown.

AJ was concentrating on her food as she gave him a small smile. Everything about her said that she wasn’t interested. Arnie was fighting a losing battle with AJ, which was very different from Buck’s own interactions with Inez. Inez, at least, looked amused by his attempts to court her.

Buck was seeing AJ giving Arnie polite attention – which was kind of normal from what Buck could see about AJ at this point. There was no interest there at all.

That, of course, didn’t mean that she wouldn’t eventually take Arnie up on that offer…

For some reason, Buck had a bad feeling about him.

“Hope the best man wins, then,” Buck returned the challenge.

Arnie frowned for a few seconds before smiling in a manner that made Buck even more distrusting. “I accept your challenge.”

“Guys, AJ’s sitting right here,” JD looked from one to the other. “I don’t think she likes being talked about like that.”

“Like what?” Becky was also following the conversation. The smile on her face didn’t seem to reach her eyes…not that all but one paid attention.

“Well, like she was public property,” JD shrugged. “Where she doesn’t get a say in anything.”

“She doesn’t, now, does she?” Arnie smirked. “Not in this case, anyway.”

“He has a point, Agent Dunne,” AJ finally spoke. “It’s an Auction. I go to the highest bidder, remember?”

Arnie gave Buck a smug look that ruffled him even more.

Buck was about to say something when an idea hit and he leaned back with a smile. “Darlin’ may be right, there, Arnie. The question is, however, how high are you willin’ to go?”

“As high as it takes,” came the prompt answer. “And you?”

“I’ve been known to get what I want,” Buck lifted a shoulder. “Just takes the right amount of effort, is all, and it’s mine for the taking.”

“I should say, Wilmington,” Arnie’s eyes had an odd look to them. “We _do_ have that in common.”

“Then how come you guys don’t like each other?” JD had to ask.

“Competition,” Nathan put in. “Buck don’t like others on his turf.”

But there was something else to the story. If only Buck could figure out what that something _was_.

Another minute later, Becky spied one of her acquaintances and reluctantly tore herself away from the group as Arnie was called over by the rest of his team.

“Well, Ms. Johnson,” he smiled charmingly. Buck wrinkled his nose at the slimy smirk. “I hope to have the opportunity to get to know you better.” He raised her hand to his lips, brushing them lightly over he knuckles before releasing her and bidding the others a good luck as he left.

“Wow, AJ,” JD grinned. “Looks like he really likes you.”

“May as well give him a date, Johnson,” Josie shook her head. “He won’t leave you be.”

“We got standards,” Jodie agreed. “But he don’t come close to meeting them. Or Tam’s or Rini’s. Seems to have a thing for you, though.”

“They won’t let us stay around him for long,” Arina shrugged. “He’s not someone who I would date, either.”

Meanwhile, Buck was still stewing over the challenge, deciding to go all out just to be able to rub it in the man’s face. A tap on his arm brought his attention to Vin, who smiled slightly at him and tilted his head at AJ.

Buck turned to her just in time to see her use the edge of the white table cloth that covered the tables to wipe the back of the hand Arnie kissed. Then, she produced a small bottle of hand sanitizer, her nose wrinkled in distaste.

Buck glanced at Vin again, who frowned, curious. Buck shrugged at him. ‘Well,’ he mused, going back to his chips. ‘I guess she really ain’t interested in him.’

Arnie, though, was interested in _her_ , but her disinterest didn’t seem to register.

Buck never could stand a man who didn’t understand that ‘no’ was ‘no’. Right then and there, he resolved to go as high as he could go to keep AJ away from that snake.

** 

Chris looked around at all the other agents that had showed up. A good few of them turned up every year like clockwork.

His green eyes scanned the program as the Auction began.

The only difference between the first and second halves of this thing was that the secretaries had a two hundred and thirty dollar limit. Since the agents had higher pay, their limit was five hundred.

He noted the female agents all clustered together, vaguely remembering them saying that they were going to bid as a group. He guessed that they would get at least two secretaries, bidding permitting.

‘Arnie’ was a few rows from them and seemed to be engrossed in his phone. Many of those invited to the event sat in the back, someone having reserved rows for them.

All of the other secretaries had left for the night to deal with other plans. Well, almost all of them. Chris spotted Becky Worth in the very back. Now, he had nothing against the woman, but he did think that she didn’t have enough work to do if she kept showing up to hang out with Buck, who didn’t need any more distraction than he already had.

Once an agent – or team – had a secretary, they had the option of staying or leaving. A good number of them decided to leave, since they had other plans. And they weren’t required to stay for the entire session. As the girls were called out, Chris saw the room start to empty.

Oh, there was a sizable number left to make sure that all the girls were claimed, but the room looked decidedly less crowded by the time they reached forty.

As they got closer to AJ’s number, the boys started paying attention to the proceedings.

Chris saw a few others start to pay attention as well and watched Buck give them an assessing glance. ‘Looks like he was serious about winning Johnson,” Chris had to smile.

“This is sure to be interesting,” Josiah leaned over to grin. “Brother Wilmington seems fit to be tied.”

“He _does_ seem unusually attentive,” Nathan leaned into Chris’ other side. “Maybe him and Johnson bonded and we didn’t know about it.”

“That don’t explain what Buck has against him,” Chris tilted his head over in Westover’s direction. “Seems Buck’s got it in for him for some reason or another.”

“Maybe Westover got someone to go out with him that Buck had an eye on for himself,” Nathan mused. “They’re both Ladies’ Men.”

As Buck’s oldest friend, Chris thought that made sense. Another part of Chris, however, thought that there was something else going on. He thought back to a few days previous.

Buck had been talking to her about having problems and coming to them if she needed help.

Chris also remembered Ezra cornering Buck a little later and asking him what Westover had been doing on their floor to begin with, as his team leader had been trying to find him.

The blond frowned, putting the pieces he had together and not quite liking the picture he was getting.

If Westover was making trouble for AJ, and Buck was aware of it, then Chris would usually sit back and keep an eye on things.

Then again, he had never heard of any problems from the other women that Westover had dated and Buck may not like him for whatever reason. But Buck didn’t seem like he wanted AJ for himself.

So, Chris was brought back to his first thought.

Westover was being a problem for AJ and Buck didn’t like it. Chris knew that there were ways to get around the rules. If Westover had his way, AJ would be stuck with him and be obligated to do what he wanted – regardless of the ground rules of the Auction.

Westover didn’t seem like that kind of guy, but Chris could see where Buck was coming from. If Buck or anyone else won AJ, then she would be as good as safe from Westover. But Chris knew that Buck would worry over the brunette if anyone else got her, as the big-hearted Ladies’ man was known to do when someone he cared about was out of his territory and therefore not safe.

So, really, it would be better for all involved if Buck got AJ. If Chris was honest with himself, he could admit to feeling better if that was the outcome. AJ was, after all, under his care. And Chris was glad that Buck was warming up to her. That was a good first step to making a cohesive team.

Chris rejoined reality just as AJ was being introduced.

Green eyes took in her calm attitude, like she’d been the center of attention before and that this was just another thing she had to do. He vaguely wondered what she used to do before joining the Bureau, when the bidding officially started.

It was almost comical the way Buck watched Westover like a hawk, not paying much attention as he bid more than the other man.

“Hey, Buck,” JD frowned at him. “Maybe you should let him have AJ,” he noted after 200 was reached. Buck and Westover were really the only ones bidding, the others having decided to sit back and watch.

It was nearing 300 dollars that Buck started to falter. Westover seemed to sense victory and made a bid. Buck looked between one and the other – his wallet saying no, but something else saying yes – and didn’t seem able to make a decision.

Chris made it for him. “I’ll bid with Wilmington,” he drawled. “315,” Buck shot him a thankful look as Westover upped it.

JD, having decided that Buck was determined to get their newest addition, added his own name with Chris and Buck.

After a while, Vin saw that Chris would back his oldest friend up if he really wanted AJ, so he also added his support.

Westover didn’t seem all that upset, but he started to frown when Nathan and Ezra shrugged and put in their money. Not wanting to be left out, Josiah added his contribution.

Later, Chris wouldn’t be able to say just how much over the limit they went, but Westover was not happy when Team Seven was announced the winners.

By the time Chris got up that next morning, it finally sunk in.

What the _hell_ did they do?


	10. Monday, June 6, 2011

It was Monday again.

The eight members of Team Seven were seated in their chairs in the conference room.

Seven pairs of eyes – three blue, two green and two brown – sheepishly met grey.

“Well, Darlin’,” Buck tried. “We coulda got a mite carried away…”

“Seven hundred dollars,” she told him. “Two hundred dollars over the limit and you all paid every cent.”

Buck could feel Chris staring at him. “Well, now, I can explain.”

“It’s not my business to ask why you spent seven hundred dollars on someone assigned to you in the first place. What I want to know is why you think I’m worth seven hundred dollars.”

“Everyone is worth something,” JD argued. “No matter the price.”

AJ didn’t look like she believed him. “You could have let Agent Westover win.”

“No, we couldn’t,” Buck insisted.

“Brother,” Josiah frowned at him. “You did seem determined and I have to wonder at the motivation behind it.”

Buck winced as everyone turned to him, grey eyes turning pensive. “Er, well, I…” he couldn’t figure out how to put in words what he felt, at the risk of sounding jealous of Arnie.

“I think the better question,” Chris added, “is what are we planning to have her do for us?”

Vin gave him a frown, knowing Chris had to be suspecting something if he changed the subject that fast. His suspicion deepened as Buck shot the blond a grateful look.

But this brought on the problem of now that they had her, what were they going to do with her?

Technically, they all bought her, so she had to do each of them a favor. This, they hadn’t thought through when helping Buck.

Chris sighed, studying them each in turn. “Give me something to work with before you leave and we’ll work on details later.”

There were a few more things to discuss, but they were soon turned out to their own devices.

“You boys are still helping out with the garden, right?” Vin asked, leaning back in his chair.

The section of Denver he lived in – affectionately called Purgatorio – had a vacant lot across the street from his building. After the building on its other side had to be torn down, Vin saw that it was big enough for a community garden.

Sure, they planted some flowers and trees, but the three other buildings on his block had agreed that vegetables would be grown in building groups.

In the garden, there were six long rows broken into sections according to floors. Each family on that floor was responsible for that floor’s patch. When it came time to harvest, the building that garden was assigned to was expected to share with each other equally.

“Sure,” JD assured. “You can count on me.”

The others chimed in with their own confirmations.

Vin nodded thoughtfully. “We can make a team day out of it.”

“She’s been resistant to all other team activities,” Nathan mused, glancing at the door. “If we manage to make it so that our favors get her to hang out with us, maybe we can get her out of her shell.”

Because they were sure that she had a personality hidden in there somewhere, but she kept it under lock and key. Even the most stoic in their building had some kind of personality.

“What do you think she’s like off the clock?” Josiah asked.

“Josiah, me and Buck saw her Saturday at that Star Struck hair place,” JD told the others. “She’s even a regular there with her own dresser and everything.”

“We don’t know what kind of flowers she likes,” Buck pointed out. All of the women in the team’s lives had a preferred flower. If the guys felt that they needed to apologize for some reason, a dozen of that lady’s favorite flowers was a good place to start. Buck didn’t know what AJ’s favorite flower was and he wanted to rectify this in case they needed to buy her flowers.

One thing the boys all agreed on was that women could get upset over things that guys wouldn’t find any problem with. It was a given that they were bound to send AJ in a huff over something and Buck wanted to be sure that they would be ready to make amends.

In order to start getting information about their sole female, they needed to spend some time with her and if they played their cards right, then their favors would ensure that.

Ezra whipped out a small notebook that he used sometimes in the office and wrote down Vin’s name and the garden visit on Saturday.

Since they had until the twenty-third – and two weekends -, they needed to knock this out of the way so they could concentrate on work. And they anticipated hanging out with AJ into the future, so they wanted to make sure they had a good friendship with her so that they could all be friends and not feel like they were blackmailing her into hanging out with them.

Nathan took out his small desk calendar. “I have an event Thursday night that Rain can’t make it to. I can ask AJ if she’d like to go.”

“That new exhibit, right?” Josiah nodded. “I’ve been meaning to ask you boys if you’d like to volunteer at the Battered Women’s Shelter that I help with.”

Josiah and Nathan’s names went into the notebook along with their plans.

“That leaves Mr. Larabee, Mr. Wilmington, Mr. Dunne and myself,” Ezra announced.

“Ain’t sure,” Buck frowned. Well, he did have one idea, but telling AJ to stay away from Westover would be both near impossible and probably unnecessary as AJ didn’t seem to be all that taken with the man in the first place.

“I don’t really have anything, either,” JD sat back in his chair.

“We got some time,” Vin told them, “until she goes.”

As they got to their usual routines, none of them saw the thoughtful look on Ezra’s face.


	11. Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Tammy frowned as she stared at her desk.

‘It’s gone,’ she closed her eyes. ‘Someone took it.’

Fighting back tears, she sat back in her chair and tried to calm down.

‘It’s okay, Tam,’ she sniffed. ‘It was time to let go anyway. Just a silly rock.’

But it wasn’t just a silly rock…

Arina – of course – chose that time to walk by. “Huh? Tammy? Hey, what’s wrong?” she wrapped an arm around her friend’s shoulders.

“It’s gone,” she sniffed, tears falling faster. “It’s gone, Rini.”

The Japanese American’s bespectacled eyes travelled to her friend’s open desk drawer, to the space where the object would have been had it been there. “Oh, no. Your aunt’s pebble. How did it happen?”

“I don’t know,” she felt her lips tremble. “I thought I locked my desk drawer, but I came back and it was open! Someone took it and I’ll never see it again!”

Arina came closer to hug her as hard as she could as Tammy started sobbing.

Looking around to see what she could do, she remembered that Jodie was at an appointment and Josie was having lunch with an old school friend.

Arina honestly had no idea what to do to help her best friend and felt a little sad, too. She knew the story being the pebble and really wanted to help Tammy, but she didn’t know what to do. She felt like crying herself.

The pair was so caught up in their feelings that it took them a second to realize that someone was standing next to them, looking from one to the other.

“Oh, AJ,” Tammy tried to compose herself, wiping her eyes with her hands, but tears still fell.

The grey eyed brunette handed her a tissue and looked at Arina to explain.

“Something happened to something her great aunt gave her. Tammy keeps it for morale, here at the office,” Arina rubbed Tammy’s back. “She was sure that she had it locked, but she found her drawer open when she came back from the bathroom.”

Tammy sniffed as she looked sadly into her drawer. “It was probably time to let it go, anyway.”

“Tammy, no,” Arina knelt down beside her. “You know the story behind that pebble. Your great aunt told you every year for your birthday. I’m sure we’ll find out what happened to it, one way or another.”

“Closure?” Tammy wiped her eyes again. Arina smiled, nodding slightly.

“Yeah, closure.” She blinked as she noticed AJ looking around. “AJ? What’s the matter?”

She must have found what she was looking for, because she smiled down at them. “Almost no one’s around, but I might have an idea. Come with me.”

Looking at each other, Arina helped Tammy stand and both followed AJ to the restroom to let Tammy clean up. First, however, Arina made sure that the redhead’s desk was locked up tight.

Once Tammy feld presentable, AJ led them down the stairs until they reached Team Seven’s floor.

“Jodie was right,” Arina smiled slightly. “You really _do_ have something against elevators, don’t you?”

The African American had made the observation yesterday afternoon after AJ appeared to join them for a few minutes before heading out to lunch with her FBI teammate. Jodie had said that she had yet to see the ‘newbie’ use the elevators since she got here. Josie, Arina and Tammy had honestly never thought about it before.

“I find it helps to get some sort of exercise during the day,” she told them absently. Her heels clicked along the tiled floor as she led them past the restrooms and to the team’s office.

Agent Sanchez was playing a round of solitaire on the computer when they walked in. “Well, good afternoon, Sisters,” he looked up with a smile. He took in Tammy’s heartbroken expression and stood with a frown. “What seems to be the trouble?”

In his office, Agent Larabee seemed to notice the excitement and went to investigate. “Something going on?”

“Hi, Agent Larabee,” Arina shyly waved, always having been in awe of the infamous leader and his team. “AJ’s helping us find Tammy’s great aunt’s pebble.”

“It really only makes sense if you know the story,” Tammy sunk into Josiah’s offered chair.

Agent Dunne suddenly appeared from the breakroom and took in the scene. “What’s going on?” he looked uncertainly from Chris to Arina.

“My Great Aunt Amelia,” Tammy sighed. “When I was born, she went to her relatives’ house in Poland and brought back a pebble. It was something her older sister had picked up one day when she was younger. We shared the same birthday, me and her older sister. My Great Aunt and her family ended up in Auschwitz-Dachau. One day, Aunt Amelia saw that her sister still had her pebble and asked why she had kept it all these years.

“Her sister said that it was a comfort to know that something so small could beat the odds against time and pressure. It was small, but it was still part of the bigger Earth. She also said that they were all part of this bigger thing and that each one of us was like the pebble. And that, a piece could still be missing, but you would know that that piece had been there by things that it had influenced. If we found our stone inside of us, then we would survive against all odds. She gave it to Aunt Amelia and she was gone by the end of the day. Then Aunt Amelia gave it to me because not only was I born on her sister’s birthday, but that I also had her spirit. But I’m still not sure I believe that.

“I kept it in my desk because I felt that faith that I could do anything and… well, it’s personal to me, but it’s not there anymore,” Tammy ducked her head, tears starting to fall again.

Arina gave her a hug as the boys let the story sink in.

“But what can we do?” JD wanted to know. “We can file a report…”

“It wouldn’t do any good,” Arina shook her head sadly.

“Actually, Agent Dunne,” AJ finally spoke up. “I was wondering if you could see about getting the footage from the security camera. I noticed while I was there that there was a camera pointing in Tammy’s direction.”

“That’s a good idea,” JD nodded, heading for his computer. He hesitated, finally remembering what he was planning to do, and turned to Chris, who nodded but was studying AJ. Wasting no time, JD hacked into the security system and looked to Tammy. “What time am I looking for?” he wanted to know.

“Around two hours ago,” she told him.

JD pulled up the camera footage and fast forwarded it until it showed the timestamp being two hours previous. He frowned as he saw no one around Tammy as she went about her business. About twenty minutes later, Tammy stood and headed out, but the camera showed nothing until about five minutes before she returned.

“Uh-oh,” JD frowned, absently reaching for his phone. When he got Tech on the line, he said, “This is JD from Team Seven. Yeah. I’d like a confirmation that all cameras in the secretarial pool are up and working.” Chris leaned over him, hand on the back of his chair for balance as the others gathered closer. “Yeah,” JD went on. “Pool Cam… Nine. Yeah. That’s right. Have you – oh. Right. I see. Thanks.” JD hung up and sat back with a frown. Turning to the others, he announced, “Cam Nine had some sort of visual issues before Tammy came back. It went out of focus before going black, then it was fine, but the drawer was open when the picture came back.”

“Do they know what happened?” Josiah wanted to know, exchanging a look with Chris that said volumes.

“No. Only that there was a problem with visual that went down,” the look on JD’s face said he was thinking along the same lines as his older teammates.

“So, we don’t know who took it,” Arina sighed, “or why.”

“Not yet,” Josiah assured. “We still have to ask the other girls present to see if anyone saw anything.”

“A lot of them were out,” Tammy told him. “So, I don’t think we’ll get anything there.”

“We’ll keep an eye out,” Chris told her. As the girls tried thinking of another way, Chris, JD and Josiah stepped to one side. “You boys thinking what I am?”

“Someone messed with the camera,” JD frowned. “The timing’s too suspicious.”

“I agree,” Josiah watched the girls. “Someone went in, messed with the camera and stole Tammy’s pebble. Why, is the question.”

“That may be, but the camera could still have malfunctioned by itself,” Chris pointed out. “We’re gonna need proof.”

“I’ll see if I can track where the problem came from,” JD suggested.

“See if you can,” Chris nodded. As JD joined the girls to tell them what he planned to do, Chris looked at Josiah. “Johnson seems to have made friends, alright.”

“Yes, it does,” Josiah tilted his head as he watched AJ reassure Tammy. “It looks like she’ll be loyal to them. And she honestly hasn’t been here that long.”

“Maybe we should ask them what they’ve been doing to her and do something similar,” Chris cracked a smile.

But there was something in the back of Josiah’s mind that said that there was something else going on. If only he could figure out what that something was...


	12. Wednesday, June 8, 2011

“I just can’t believe that someone would stoop so low as to mess with the camera just so someone could steal an obviously personal item from a nice girl like Tammy,” Nathan scowled.

“We never did figure it out,” JD added.

Buck shook his head in disgust. “And never mind that the camera could have went out by itself. You boys could be right in thinkin’ someone screwed with the camera.”

Josiah turned to their youngest. “JD, did you have any luck tracking were it came from?”

“Well,” he scrubbed a hand through his black hair. “To all intents and purposes, it was a camera failure.” But none of them believed that it was that simple.

“We have faith in you, kid,” Vin assured him. “You’ll figure this out in no time.”

“I hope so,” JD frowned slightly. He’d made it his mission to find out who stole Tammy’s pebble and messed with the camera to do it. The ‘why’ could be dealt with later, when he found them.

Nathan smiled slightly as he noted the determination in his friend’s brown eyes. AJ had involved him and JD would do whatever he could to keep from disappointing her.

“Oh, yeah,” he blinked, remembering the upcoming exhibit. Nathan got up and stuck his head out to see AJ just coming out of the small file room attached to her desk area. “Hey, Darlin’. Have a second?”

AJ nodded slightly and sat down expectantly.

Nathan made sure to stop a few feet away from her so that he wasn’t looming over her. “About my favor.”

“You decided?” she blinked, before turning to her desk and getting out a small planner. Nathan was interested to see her dig out a pen that was black with a rather cool star design. “Alright. I’m ready.”

“Tomorrow night at seven thirty,” he watched her scribble in her planner. “It’s the Rainbow Exhibit at a local gallery.”

“I’ve heard of that,” she scribbled down the information before laying the planner and pen aside to look up at him. “It’s for the city’s ‘flexible’ artists, isn’t it?”

Denver’s annual ‘Rainbow Exhibit’ featured local homosexual artists of all kinds. Donations would be made to local charities and it was a nice way of accepting those with alternative lifestyles who might not be accepted elsewhere. The city’s thriving homosexual community just adored those kind of events, but they were not without its own troubles.

Rain had a co-worker who’s best friend had a painting at the exhibit and had made plans to go, but her shifts were not co-operating. She had told Nathan to go instead and tell her about it.

“I would normally go with my girlfriend, but her work in the hospital made her cancel the plans. I’ve been trying to find someone else to go with me because I have an extra ticket, but I do understand that it’s not for everyone,” he winced as he realized that he was basically ordering her to go with him, no matter what her feelings were on the matter.

“I’m fine with it,” she nodded, smiling reassuringly.

Nathan studied her for signs of second thoughts or uncomfortable fidgeting, but she looked him straight in the eye and nodded again.

Deciding to take her word for it, he relaxed and smiled widely. “Great! Thanks for doing this, AJ.”

“It’s what I can do for you,” she lifted a shoulder. “Oh, um, Agent Jackson?”

“Yeah?”

“Agent Dunne was saying something about Agent Tanner having a garden?”

“Oh, yeah. We’re going over to Purgatorio this Saturday. Chris was planning to talk to you about it tomorrow.”

“Purgatorio…” she gave a curious smile.

“Vin’s neighborhood. He’s got the Los Lobos there, too.”

AJ blinked, absorbing the information before nodding again. “I just need the details.”

“You’ll get it either tomorrow or Friday,” Nathan told her. “And don’t worry. Everyone in his neighborhood is really nice, if you don’t present a threat. But I don’t think we’ll be anticipating any problems.”

“And tomorrow night?”

Nathan thought about it. “Do you know where the Lisa M. Rider Gallery is? Or, would you rather I drove there with you? It’s not too high end, but not too casual.”

“I don’t mind if you picked me up, but I’m sure it would be out of your way.”

“Oh?” he tilted his head. “Why? Where do you live?”

“West Sunset.”

He blinked. “That’s fifteen minutes from here! But don’t you work at the FBI? That’s further than the office is. I thought it would make more sense if you had started working here instead.”

“Maybe in another life I would have,” she smiled wryly.

“That’s not out of my way at all. I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow night.”

“Do you need directions? I could meet you downstairs in the lobby.”

“I think I know where it is, and that’s fine.”

AJ nodded, making a note in her planner as her desk phone rang. Nathan smiled slightly and left her to it.

He was just settling down at his desk, when Ezra’s phone rang.

“ _Agent Standish?”_

“Yes, Ms. Johnson?” he asked, looking up from his game of solitaire.

_“Um, I have… she says she’s your mother…? Mrs. Standish is on line two.”_

“Thank you, Ms. Johnson,” Ezra sighed. “I shall take it from here.”

His teammates exchanged looks.

Maude Standish was certainly a character, that was for sure.

She had Josiah besotted with her, but her parenting skills had the others less than thrilled. Oh, she was a good person when it counted, but she mostly looked out for Number One. Maude had sort of made a mandatory ‘family dinner’ outing for the team at least every other visit.

Now, being how Maude was Ezra’s mother and all, the team didn’t really put up much of a fuss. Ezra had not been amused, but the boys had surprisingly adapted.

Chris had just shrugged and said that it was a different, more ‘civilized’ version of team night. The fact that Maude had called could either mean an impending visit or Mother-Son Business.

The look on Ezra’s face, however, meant a visit was in their future.

Across the desk, Vin chuckled at the Southerner.

His ma was a bit of a Southern Belle, but Vin didn’t mind. Sometimes, he wondered if Miz Standish didn’t mind their roles in her son’s life as much as she pretended to.

His blue eyes drifted back to his screen and he stood to get to the door.

Poking his head out, he blinked as he noted AJ, Tammy, Arina, the twins and two others grouped near the corner leading from the elevator. Curious, he ambled over to them and caught AJ’s attention.

“There’s Agent Tanner,” she noted.

“Wilmington’s in there, right?” one of the Landon twins wanted to know.

“Last I checked,” he looked from one to the other.

“I’ll get him,” Arina offered, taking off.

“Did you need something, Agent Tanner?” AJ turned to him.

“Yeah, a file if you get a chance,” he eyed the group. “What’s going on?”

Arina, Josiah and Buck finally appeared to join them.

“Sisters,” Josiah looked them over. “What seems to be the problem with Brother Wilmington?"

“Alice, why don’t you tell them,” the unfamiliar blonde turned to the redhead.

The redhead was a Bureau Girl, Vin recognized her from the few visitors AJ had when he passed by her desk on the way to the elevator a few times.

“My friend said that Agent Buck Wilmington said something about her and never apologized or anything.”

Buck, Vin knew, had never intentionally wronged a woman and didn’t apologize for it.

“Who’s your friend and what was it that I said about her?” Buck frowned, anxious to make this right.

“Another Bureau Girl,” a different – Vin thought it was – Landon told them. “Name’s Marcia. She apparently said that you called her… Now, what was it again, Johnson?”

AJ thought for a second. “ ‘Marcia is a strict girl, but I really don’t think she’s for me,’” AJ recited.

Alice smiled slightly. “AJ? Could you do that thing with your voice? Please? I haven’t heard it in a while.”

They all looked at her, curious to see what Alice was talking about. AJ blinked slowly once, twice, then cut a look at Buck, who was just as curious and nodded at her to continue.

AJ sighed and ducked her head for a few seconds before she went to Alice and took her hand. “Marcia, darlin’,” Alice couldn’t stifle a giggle as the brunette began. “Ya really are the prettiest wildflower in this here garden, but I don’t think we’ll be able to get what you’re intendin’. Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but ya ain’t for me. I’m more of a – shall we say – loose kinda guy.”

The others stared for a few minutes before Vin whistled. “That ain’t a bad impression,” he grinned.

Buck was staring at her. She’d even gotten his speech pattern down! “That really was pretty neat, Darlin’,” he admitted.

The others smiled widely.

“Ya got the man’s accent, Johnson,” one of the twins hooted with laughter.

Josiah smiled widely at their eighth’s apparent talent.

“Wilmington,” the other twin frowned at him. “Did you really say that to that poor girl?”

“It _is_ true, though,” the blonde whispered to her fellow Bureau Girls.

“Marcia… the one with her hair in a side bun?” Buck frowned slightly. “I met and talked to her a few times, but I don’t recall any of that…”

“You wouldn’t have had to,” AJ told him matter-of-factly. “You know, word gets around and the rumor mill takes it all out of context.”

“And then there’s the whole ‘girls take care of each other,’” Arina pointed out.

“Basically,” a twin shrugged. “All it takes is one word near someone and that someone runs with it.”

“Amen,” Josiah nodded. “Now, Brother Buck, what are you going to do?”

“Get her some flowers and chocolate,” he promptly answered. “Then ask her out for an apology.”

“And it had better be good,” one of the twins sniffed.

“I’ll take care of it,” AJ told them. “That’s sort of part of my job, isn’t it? To do what my team tells me to do.” Her tone was light, but the other Bureau Girls glanced at her sharply.

“Thanks, Darlin’,” Buck grinned. “I’ll get my card for you.”

“Just hope it’ll be enough,” one of the twins sighed.

The secretaries lingered for another few minutes, before leaving. AJ walked back to her desk with Vin and Josiah, the latter of which leaving to return to his own desk. She was just handing the file to Vin when Buck returned to give AJ his credit card. Vin headed back to the office as she grabbed the phonebook to start making calls.


	13. Thursday, June 9, 2011

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nathan's favor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the name of the series comes from. We'll get more into this later, but the feeling of being incomplete is something that is part of the stories to come. Mostly, it will be something that will be applied to AJ, but there are so many ways that this can go.

Ezra came into the office as Buck nervously paced the breakroom.

“Mister Wilmington,” he nodded slightly as he passed to get some coffee from the ‘safe’ pot. “What seems to be the fuss?”

“He’s about to apologize to someone,” JD grinned from nearby, laptop up and running. Ezra had to admire the young tech’s determination. JD certainly was taking his task to heart. As of yet, he hadn’t found out who messed with the camera in the secretarial pool, but he wasn’t giving up.

“Ah,” Ezra nodded understandingly.

AJ chose that moment to stick her head into the room. “Good morning, Agent Standish,” he responded via salute. “Agent Wilmington, the flowers have arrived. And the chocolate. Oh, and I made reservations for Sunday at Lucien’s.”

“Well done, Ms. Johnson,” Ezra had been to the classy, yet inexpensive restaurant in the past.

“Yeah, Darlin’, thanks,” Buck squared his shoulders and marched out with calls of good luck.

When he came back an hour later, he was grinning from ear to ear.

Vin was standing near AJ’s desk when his bigger teammate scooped her up and spun her around. “Take it you got a date, Bucklin?” Vin smirked.

“Yup. Darlin’, Blake was right,” he referred to her FBI teammate, the one they’d met not so long ago. “You really _do_ know how to apologize to a girl. She liked her milk chocolate and did you know that yellow carnations were her favorite flower? What am I sayin’, course you did. That’s what she got.”

“It was a lucky guess,” she shrugged modestly. It was a little odd, Vin thought. AJ didn’t blush or bat her eyelashes when Buck beamed at her like other women did.

It was like she didn’t notice, as she picked up her files.

Buck clapped Vin on the arm as he passed into the office.

“Hey, Darlin’,” Vin leaned against the wall, watching her. “That was some lucky guess. And Lucien’s wouldn’t have occurred to me to take a lady. So, how _do_ you know how to apologize to a girl?”

“Easy,” she answered flippantly, brushing past him. “I just pretend that I’m the one dating them.”

As she disappeared into the file room next to her desk, she didn’t seem to have realized that she’d just outed herself to Vin. He stared after her thoughtfully. Suddenly, a lot of things that he’d observed about her started making sense.

It wasn’t that AJ was impervious to them; it was that she was legitimately not interested.

This brought up an unexpected problem.

Vin frowned to himself as he returned to the office. It wasn’t that he or any of the boys would have a problem with her. They had two gay co-workers on two different teams. Andrew and Matt were good men and the three teams were known to hang out on occasion. But that was the thing. They were _guys_. AJ wasn’t.

Buck was right. If they did have to apologize to AJ in the future – whether as their teammate or just a good friend - , then they were going to need to figure out how to apologize to her.

Vin didn’t think any of them had ever slighted a lesbian, so how did a straight boy apologize to a gay girl? The way he would if she was straight?

The boys were going to need to get some idea if they wanted to stay her friends – and they wanted to. Even if she was a Feeb employee.

“Hey, Junior,” Buck spied him standing in the middle of the office with a thoughtful frown. “Somethin’ we can help you with?”

Vin looked up to see the curious looks from the boys and a pair of green who had no doubt seen him standing there. “Nah. Personal.”

“You know where we are if you need us,” Buck nodded, knowing that his private teammate would decide if he needed help or not. The others went back to their tasks as Vin thought about it and headed for Chris’ office. “Got a minute?”

The blond immediately set aside some paperwork in order to give his best friend hi undivided attention. “Something on your mind, Cowboy?”

Vin studied him, thinking hard. Moving into the room, he closed the blinds and locked the door. “I want this to be ‘tween the two of us. It don’t leave this room. And… I understand that you want details, but it ain’t my story to tell.

Chris nodded in understanding. Vin wanted advice, but the blond would be getting the barest possible details. Vin didn’t have permission to reveal too much and Chris understood that the Texan took that very seriously. Especially when the subject of conversation confided in him. “Understood. It doesn’t leave this room.”

Vin relaxed in one of the chairs in front of the desk and sighed. “It’s about someone who gave me an idea, but I don’t think they realized that they gave me this idea. Now, I know that Andrew and Matt are gay, and so is this someone, too, but in a different way. Andrew and Matt are the ones I know how to apologize to and I’ve done it in the past. But this someone… I don’t know.”

Chris thought about it. “If I’m readin’ this right, we’re talkin’ about a girl here. One who may or may not realize that you know about her. And you have done or will do something to upset her. The question is, do you know her well?”

“Not yet,” Vin held his gaze.

Chris slowly sat back, the answer clear now. It wasn’t a problem for Chris to work with a gay member of either gender, but he did know that others would see a problem. As long as his co-worker knew that ‘no’ was ‘no’, Chris had no problem. He didn’t even mind flirting, because heaven knew that it was harmless a majority of the time regardless of preference. And he happened to know that he could give as good as he got - much to Andrew’s partner’s delight. But for the fact that the not so secret subject of conversation was female…

Women usually had a ‘basic’ set of guidelines – if you would – when men wanted to apologize to them. Usually, however, the man knew what the individual liked. ~~Johnson~~ Vin’s friend didn’t seem to be giving him much to go on.

“My advice,” Chris smiled slightly, “is to get to know this someone you say hinted at it. She could either tell you outright or you would need to study her body language. She should be dropping some sort of clue, but you don’t know her well enough to catch it.”

Vin nodded. He’d thought that would be the case. “Have you ever had that problem?”

“Well, no, but if you get some idea, be sure to pass the information on so that I can apologize, too.”

They exchanged a grin, both agreeing that ~~AJ’s revelation~~ Vin’s discovery would stay between them until further notice. They didn’t know who else on the team knew, but they wouldn’t be learning it from them.

Of course, Vin and Chris wouldn’t give any indication that they knew.

But later, when Chris stopped by to give her a file, he found himself under unbelievably intense scrutiny by grey eyes.

“Can I help you, Darlin’?” he raised an eyebrow.

She just smiled and said nothing, but Chris couldn’t help wondering if she knew that Vin ‘told’ him, how she knew and how she felt about it.

She must not have been very upset about it, because, just as Chris and Vin were packing up for the night, they found a small smiley face at the corner of their desk calendars. They knew that they hadn’t put them there and would have thought it was one of the boys if the entire team hadn’t been out at the same time, leaving AJ in the office.

** Later

Nathan pulled up at the only apartment complex on West Sunset and parked in a visitor spot.

Adjusting his jacket, he locked up and headed inside to wait for AJ. He entered the lobby and noted the professional surroundings, but it seemed at odds with the clientele. There was a group of young girls clumped near the elevators, an older girl standing watch as the four younger gathered together.

There was a wall of mail boxes and Nathan wandered over to check out which number AJ called home. It turned out to be on the third floor: 13C.

There were four floors in all, with fifteen units on each floor. Most of them, he noted, were members of the same family on each floor. He had to chuckle as he saw noted the first initials of 13, 14 and 15C: A, B and C.

Nathan took a picture of it on his phone and sent it to the boys for future reference.

A few minutes later, AJ entered the lobby from the stairwell, Nathan having noticed her avoidance of elevators. No one thought she was claustrophobic, because even Vin had some trouble using the file room behind AJ’s desk, yet she still took the stairs.

Then again, she _was_ sitting down all day. Nothing wrong with some exercise to burn off energy.

“Hey, AJ,” Nathan smiled warmly at her, noting the same blue number that she’d worn at the Auction. “Ready?”

“Yeah. Oh, uh,” she paused. “I know you go with … our Southern friend once in a while, so I was wondering what I should call you.”

Nathan stared for a minute before understanding dawned. She was obviously comfortable with using their titles. And it was true that Nathan sometimes went undercover with Ezra and AJ was obviously thinking about that.

“It’s fine to call me by my first name,” he told her quietly. “I was wondering why you always call us by our titles. But you know, it would make me feel better if you called me Nathan. Oh, I know that being familiar with strange men might not be very comfortable, but I would like you to consider calling me Nathan out of the office from now on.” He wanted to at least let himself think they were friends.

AJ studied him for a few silent moments before nodding. Nathan smiled back and nodded.

“Thank you,” he stepped back, not realizing what he’d just done. “I guess we should be on our way.”

She hummed before turning to the children by the elevator, who Nathan just realized was studying them. “Okay, you’ve seen him. Now, go back upstairs.”

“We’ll see you tomorrow?” the oldest confirmed. The young blonde was obviously in her early teens, with braces and big framed glasses.

“Bright and early,” she nodded. “Night, Li.”

“ **Night, Ms. AJ** ,” they all chorused. They seemed to converse for a minute amongst themselves before one of the young African American girls darted forward.

“Don’t forget about Stevie,” she told AJ, giving her a hug around the waist.

“Yes, Mimi. Say goodnight to Stevie, too. See you tomorrow.”

Mimi skipped back to the others and let Li herd them into the elevator.

“Friends of yours?” Nathan chuckled.

“Mimi and Elaine – the other black girl – live on my floor. The other girls live above us.”

Nathan offered his arm. “We should get there just in time.”

AJ took it and let him escort her to his car. “You don’t have to,” she told him as he opened the door for her.

“But it’s only fair,” Nathan closed it and hurried behind the wheel. “This is because I asked you out tonight.”

“How would this look to someone who might know your girlfriend?” she wanted to know.

“I told them that I was bringing someone and Rain wasn’t going to be available. So, don’t worry. And I let Rain know about it, so she’s well aware that I’m taking out another woman.” He sneaked a look at her and was surprised to see the smile on her face. She appeared to be amused at something, but Nathan was too intrigued by the change to her features to ask.

At the office, with her female friends, AJ smiled, sure, but there seemed to be something she was holding back. With the others on the team, she seemed polite and distant, though they wanted to change that. But here, she seemed almost content. He wouldn’t say relaxed, but it was a far cry from the almost bland smiles she normally gave people. The boys all noticed that she didn’t really let her smile touch her eyes.

This new smile may have been the one that touched her grey eyes, but Nathan couldn’t see them as he drove down the street.

They got to the gallery and found a sizable crowd already milling around. As they entered the doors, the first thing that greeted them was a rainbow arch.

“I’ve never been here before,” Nathan told her. “Isn’t this pretty neat?”

She was too busy looking around to really answer, but that was okay because he was, too.

The art they were here to see wasn’t on any of the visible walls, but there were other paintings to look over. Nathan was quite taken with a sailboat in a sunset, as AJ seemed content to look over pictures of outer space. Nathan noted the space exhibit would come around August and he made a note about it in case AJ wanted to go in the future, when she was back at her regular office, because they were going to hang out when she went back. The eight of them were all going to look back on this ‘transition period’ and laugh at how reluctant she was to befriend all of them.

The team could make a day of it.

And, if Nathan were honest, keeping in touch with AJ wouldn’t be a bad thing, because they all needed someone trustworthy in the agency they hated.

After a few minutes, they rejoined the trickle of arrivals and Nathan handed their tickets to one of the young adults manning the gates.

The first painting they were faced with was a silhouette of a man walking by himself on a lonely road.

AJ had picked up a program a program and found the painting. “It looks like all the artists were asked to visualize emotions. This one, as you can probably imagine, is loneliness.”

Moving on, another painting showed two women smiling into each other’s eyes.

Nathan peered over AJ’s shoulder and noted contentment. “Basically,” he mused, “ask the artists to paint what an emotion looks like to them.”

“Or what inspires the emotion,” she added, pointing to another painting of a knitting basket sat next to an instrumental soundtrack.

“It’s an interesting concept to be sure,” Nathan nodded thoughtfully. “Rain did say that they had a theme every year. It’s actually pretty interesting.”

They continued through the exhibit, Nathan running into some of Rain’s friends and co-workers every once in a while as they went.

As AJ and Nathan stood in front of a very fierce twister painting, Nathan suddenly felt like he was being watched. Many scenarios racing through his mind, Nathan was glad to have his cellphone with him as he subtly scanned the room for anyone paying him any mind.

Thinking that he was being careful, he was surprised when AJ squeezed his arm lightly.

“It’s fine, Nathan,” she murmured confidently. “See that tree over there?”

He blinked, nodding thoughtfully, kind of surprised she noticed. AJ obviously had some awareness of her surroundings if Nathan hadn’t known to pay attention to the leafy potted tree next to the entrance of this particular room.

He frowned thoughtfully before spotting a pair of narrowed black eyes watching their every move.

“She just doesn’t give up, does she?” AJ shook her head in amusement as they turned to confront the tree. “Alright, Jackie. Game’s up.”

“Yeah, Jack,” another girl joined them. “Game’s up, race is won and AJ’s got your number!” she crowed.

“Hey, Lucy,” AJ raised a hand in hello.

“Hey, there,” the taller brunette waved back. She turned to Nathan. “I’m Lucy May Nielson.”

“And I’m June Louise-Kathryn Nielson,” another brunette – the exact mirror image of Lucy – materialized next to her.

“ **We’re twins** ,” they chuckled merrily.

“I see that,” Nathan grinned, liking them instantly. “Nathan Jackson.” He turned to see the pair of black eyes narrow further.

“That’s Jackie,” Lucy grinned.

“Yeah,” AJ sighed. “Jackie Rivers. She works at Supernova at the mall. Jackie, this is Nathan. He’ll be working with me for a few more weeks.”

Jackie slowly stepped out from behind the tree. “Hi,” she gave him a sidelong glance.

“Where’s Junior?” AJ frowned. “He’s usually around somewhere, isn’t he?”

“He’s not feeling well,” June sighed. Her brown hair was piled on top of her head, just like Lucy’s. “It’s just me, Luce, Jack and Todd. Oh, AJ, have you seen Todd’s painting? He said you’re in it.”

“I heard he did the painting, but I didn’t realize it was for the Rainbow,” she tilted her head.

Nathan was content to just watch them.

He wondered how long they knew each other, because of the relative ease of their interactions. But the more Nathan studied AJ, the more he realized that while she let the other girls be friendly with her, they had gotten no deeper into her shell than the four secretaries had.

This led Nathan to wonder if AJ had any close friends. She was closed off to a lot of people, but one would almost never figure her out until they stood back and watched. Then he wondered how anyone could get through the walls she had up and how many had bothered to try. After this long, Nathan doubted anyone would try any harder to be friends with her, but he knew that the team had already had (hard fought) success with Ezra and they were more than willing to take up the challenge that AJ presented.

AJ might have come into their lives by accident, but Chris did have a habit of collecting strays. What was one more?

“Nathan? Are you okay?” June tilted her head. The only way that she and her twin could be told apart was their earrings – June’s hoops to Lucy’s studs.

“Yeah, sorry. Off in thought. AJ, I think we’ve got a few more paintings before we’re done. I mean, if you want to stay with your –”

“No,” she shook her head. “It’s your favor. I’m supposed to finish with the girls and the rest of the team. I don’t go back on a promise.”

Nathan and the boys would later find out how true that was – and what lengths she would go to - , but that was still a ways off yet.

He nodded once he made sure that she was okay with it. The last thing he wanted to do was force her to be somewhere she didn’t want to be. “Alright.”

AJ’s friends – if that’s what they were – said their farewells as her and Nathan went on to the last area.

This room alternated the various ‘emotions’ like the rest of the exhibit. Seeing not many people present, AJ went left and Nathan went right.

Absently going from one painting to another, it took a few minutes for him to realize just what it was he was seeing. Turning, he studied AJ across the room before turning back to the AJ in the painting in front of him.

And it was AJ, alright.

She was sitting in a large empty room, on a white rug on the floor. Cross-legged, her forearms were braced on her thighs and hands hanging down in the space left by her legs. In front of her, there was a completed outline of a jigsaw puzzle with different pieces scattered all over the place around her. The box that the puzzle came in was opened on her left.

“Nice, isn’t it?”

Nathan turned to see someone that resembled that girl Jackie. Blue eyes were riveted on the painting in front of them.

“Yes, it is,” Nathan agreed, looking back at it. AJ in the painting didn’t have her glasses on, but she was staring at the puzzle in front of her and she seemed so far away.

“It’s not complete,” the soft Southern lilt went on.

“What do you mean?” Nathan frowned. “It looks amazing. I may not know much about art, but I see nothing wrong with it. I always heard that artists were their worst critics.”

“While that may be true,” the other man sighed, “I don’t feel that it’s complete. But no matter how I try, I just can’t figure out what’s missing. What do you think?”

Nathan frowned as he flipped through the program in his hands until he got to the painting he stood in front of.

Loneliness.

Nathan let his hand fall back to his side as he looked back to the painting. It looked like AJ needed help finishing that puzzle, but she was the only one there. And her body language seemed dejected as she stared at the puzzle, like she couldn’t go on by herself. And, as Nathan stared at it, he realized what the other man meant.

“Oh, good, you found it,” AJ came up next to him. She was silent for a minute as she studied the painting of her. “Looks kind of sad, huh?” she sighed. “By the way, have you seen Todd, by chance? He’s Jackie’s cousin, but he’s got a light Southern accent. Not unlike our other friend. Though, Todd’s is more lighter.”

Nathan blinked before turning to where the other man…used to be. “He was right here a second ago…”

“Oh, well,” she lifted a shoulder. “I’ll probably catch up with him somewhere else.” Nathan glanced at her as she stood beside him and nodded slightly.

The painting just seemed too big for one person. The scene was set up for others, as well. The puzzle was made for more than one person.

Friends.

But as Nathan studied the AJ beside him as she stared at her likeness, he knew that there was something even more important missing from both versions of the brunette.

Without a smile or sparkle in those grey eyes, the picture just seemed…

Incomplete.

***


	14. Friday, June 10, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I might end up rewriting some parts differently in the future, but here you go.

“Morning, Darlin’,” Vin was the first of the guys in. “Hear you had a nice time with Nathan last night.”

“Good morning, Agent Tanner,” AJ nodded in his direction as she frowned at her desk. “No one else is in.”

“Fine by me,” he nodded, opening the door and heading to his desk. Draping his light jacket over his chair, he whistled as he headed into the breakroom and got out the pot for him and Josiah. Waiting for it to start brewing, Vin hopped up on the counter and let his legs hang off the edge.

“Agent Tanner?”

“Yeah, Darlin’,” he called. “In the breakroom. Whatcha need?”

AJ appeared in the door, looking nervous. “Uhm, last night. Before you left? Did you happen to see a yellow stack of sticky notes? It was – I don’t remember putting it in my desk and it’s not there. Then I thought that maybe the janitor may have done something with it, but no one on the night staff had come near my desk and didn’t remember seeing the notes in the first place. I didn’t take it out of the office and I don’t know who else would want to be on this floor.”

Vin frowned slightly. She looked unusually nervous for such a small thing. “Cain’t you get more?”

“I brought that stack from the FBI,” she wrung her hands. “Agent Lowe is going to **kill** me.”

“Okay, Darlin’, now hold on,” Vin jumped down. “I’m sure Chris’ll be able to talk him down from any homicidal fantasies.” Joke falling flat, Vin put a hand on her arm. “AJ, I’ll help you find yer notes, but I’m sure Chris won’t mind if you make do with another color until then, okay? Now, I’m sure we’ll find it and prevent Lowe being tossed into prison for murder. Where did you go before leaving last night?”

“I already re-traced my steps, but maybe another pair of eyes will help,” she frowned thoughtfully.

“That’s what I’m thinkin’. Come on. Show me what you’ve done so far.”

By the time Nathan and Josiah came in, AJ was quickly deteriorating. Vin ran a hand through his shoulder length brown hair.

“Well, when AJ left last night, her post – it notes were somewhere on her desk,” he told them. “Anybody know the last one to leave?”

“Chris,” Josiah answered. “After AJ and Nathan, you, Buck, JD, myself and Ezra.”

“Late meeting with Judge Travis,” AJ added. None of them challenged her knowledge, because she _was_ – after all – a secretary.

Nathan nodded thoughtfully. “Well, there’s a camera that JD could look into, but we’ll have to wait for him. Vin’s right, AJ,” he turned to her. “Chris won’t mind if you use a different color until we either recover your old ones or get you some more. And I doubt Lowe will kill you for losing some post-it notes.”

If anything, AJ got even more fidgety.

“Here, Sister,” Josiah rummaged around in his desk. “I don’t have much use for purple,” he added, handing the light purple colored notes over. “Maybe it will be more suited for your work.”

“Thank you, sir,” she mumbled timidly, fingering the post-its.

“You don’t need to be all formal,” he waved it away. “Glad to help.”

Seemingly at a loss to do something else, AJ just stood there.

Vin sighed. “C’mon, Darlin’. Nathan brought some apple juice in the other day. Why don’t we go get some?”

“I’ll have some, too, I think,” Nathan easily agreed.

Nathan, AJ, Vin and Josiah went into the breakroom, where Vin got out two plastic cups for juice and two mugs for coffee. Josiah sat down with AJ at one of the round tables scattered across the room and smiled slightly as she tried to calm down.

“There, now,” he nodded as she sipped her juice. “Don’t you feel a little better?”

They sat there for a few minutes in comfortable silence when Buck and JD finally arrived.

“What’s going on?” JD frowned, taking in the scene.

The boys quickly filled them in on AJ’s missing notes.

“And I still haven’t found poor Tammy’s pebble,” JD ruffled his shaggy hair.

“Think it’s the same person?” Vin frowned at him.

“And maybe they messed with the camera on this floor, too,” JD rushed out of the office to check on his computer.

“Now, see, Darlin’?” Buck smiled slightly. “We’ll figure this out.”

Vin shrugged. “We thought that someone borrowed them and left a note, but we didn’t find anything.”

Nathan thoughtfully sipped his juice, but before he could formulate a response, they heard JD from the office.

“Not you, too! Now we have _three_ things to find!”

They all wandered out of the breakroom to see JD scratching the back of his head as Andrew lifted his hands in a ‘what can you do?’ gesture.

The agent from Team Nine shook his head. “Hey, boys,” he smiled sheepishly. “I don’t suppose you’ve seen a can of green paint, do you? It’s a prop for the bust going down later this afternoon, but we’ve only just discovered it missing.”

“First Tammy, then AJ, and now you,” Vin huffed a sigh, folding his arms across his chest.

“We either got a strong magpie who can lift paint cans and open drawers, a poltergeist or a thief,” Buck postulated.

“My money’s on a thief,” Andrew huffed. “So, what did you lose?” he turned to AJ.

She held up the stack of purple notes. “A whole stack of yellow ones. And Tammy lost a present from her relatives.” No one else needed to know what that present was or the story behind it.

“It _is_ a thief,” JD scowled at his computer. “Looks like your camera had problems, too, Andy.”

“And ours?” AJ wanted to know.

JD didn’t answer for a long minute. “Can you go out there and see if you show up on screen?”

AJ gamely went out as the guys clustered around the computer screen. After a few minutes, Andy frowned at the empty hall.

The camera was focused on the stretch of hall leading from AJ’s desk to the elevators.

Buck went to the door and poked his head out to see AJ waving half-heartedly at the camera. “Darlin’, unless you’re a vampire and can turn invisible, you ain’t showin’ up.” They returned to the group just in time for JD to report, “The footage is being looped.”

“Why didn’t security pick up on this?” Andy wanted to know.

“It’s pretty good,” JD admitted, “and no one would have caught it if they didn’t know what they were looking for.”

“JD was lookin’ for it,” Buck ruffled the younger man’s hair, proud of him for spotting it.

“But this doesn’t make sense,” Nathan spread his hands. “Why go to all this trouble just to take some office supplies? They could have just asked. I’m sure AJ would have let them have some.”

“Better to ask forgiveness than permission.”

“Huh?” JD asked, all of them turning to AJ. “What’s that mean?”

“Oh, it’s just something that someone told me once or twice,” she shrugged it off. “I thought it fitting.”

“Well,” Buck frowned thoughtfully, turning back to the matter at hand. “We’ll have to assume that the same person is behind this.”

“Think anything else has gone missing?” Andy wanted to know.

AJ absently picked up Buck’s desk phone and dialed a number. “Yes, hello, Tammy,” she spoke as the other end picked up. “I was wondering if anyone else has reported something having gone missing… Agent Bowen is here about a can of paint he was going to use for a bust… I lost a whole stack of post-its… uh-huh…” she frowned. “Okay. Can you keep an ear to the ground and let me know if anything else comes up? Yes… tell the other girls. Thanks.”

“Well?” Vin wanted to know.

“Right now, it’s just three,” she lifted a shoulder.

“Well, I can’t think of anything right now,” Andy frowned after a minute. “I mean, it’s not important or anything, but if you figure it out, let me know, yeah?”

“You’ll be in the top twenty,” JD absently waved him off, concentrating on figuring out who could have messed with the cameras.

Vin looked around. Were these random incidents? Who was behind them?

But most importantly, who was next?

** _Later_

After the morning’s excitement, things died down after Chris and Ezra got in.

Everyone was curious about it, but they still had work to do. As AJ was distributing mail and files, JD was busy with a few different things, but he was still running some sort of test with the affected cameras. The floor’s looped footage was being put through its own barrage of tests.

Chris let him work on his little mystery as it was an unusually slow day and he didn’t see the harm in it. Of course, he could also admit to his own healthy dose of curiosity. He was just going through some files when AJ waiting by the open door caught his attention.

“Something I can help with, Darlin’?” he smiled encouragingly.

“Agent Tanner updated you about the missing items?”

“Yup. Josiah told me about you missing notes,” he confirmed. “And the looped footage.”

Chris was concerned about that bit of information. Hopefully, JD had something for him about that. There was no need just yet to alert Security. If anyone else got wind of this, their magpie could spook.

“Then Agent Sanchez told you about…”

“Your replacement notes?” he smiled knowingly. “Darlin’, let me make something clear,” he leaned forward. “I’m not Lowe, who is probably someone who wants everything done a certain way. That means that I’m not going to come after you for something that happens outside of your control. If that means that I’m going to be getting pastel pink or neon green sticky notes, then I’ll gladly take it. You don’t need to be strictly by the book when it comes to this team. I don’t mind having notes in colors other than white or yellow. Just make sure that I can read it. And another thing,” he picked up an old yellow post-it. “I don’t require you to use black ink. Heck, Tanner over there can’t go a day without writing something in that light green ink he’s got. I don’t mind that, but it should only be between the team. Understand?”

Hopefully, she would be inspired to be a little creative with her delivery.

Chris would be the first to admit that he wasn’t used to such cut and dried way of communication. All of the boys had a way to put their personalities in the notes that found their way all over the place.

As much as she might pretend she didn’t, the boys knew that there was a personality in there somewhere, but they didn’t know what it was or how to get to it. Chris telling her to be creative would not only prevent her from lingering over small things, but he hoped that her elusive personality would make some sort of appearance.

AJ nodded thoughtfully as she set a couple files on his desk. She used Josiah’s purple notes, but still with black ink.

“These will be fine,” he approved. Since the Auction, the boys kept mum about the quickly passing month so as to not hurt her feelings or make her think they wanted rid of her once and for all.

It was quite the opposite.

Glancing at the time, Chris felt a bit of victory as he noted their weekly team lunch was about to begin. Standing, he told AJ to finish her rounds and then get ready to go to ‘their’ restaurant.

Outside, the boys were starting to gather their things or get to a stopping point.

Besides the donuts twice a week, the team made it a point to have lunch together at least once a week if at all possible. Within twenty minutes, the team – all eight of them – was on their way to the Saloon to try the last week’s lunch again.

Settling at their usual table, Josiah turned to AJ. “You did remember to have lunch with Allen earlier this week, didn’t you?”

“Yes, si-” she cut herself off, glancing at Nathan. Remembering last night’s conversation, she tried again. “Yes, we did. Thank you for asking, Josiah.”

Buck felt a grin cross his face as he peeked to see the bigger man’s thunderstruck expression. It was the first time she’d called any of them by their first name. Buck, however, was certain that Nathan had had a word with her last night if the approval on his face was anything to go by.

It took a second for Josiah to complete his thought. “Was there any updates on how your team is doing?”

“Agent Allen said that they were going to help a different team with one of their cases. He said not to expect him next week.”

“Hope everyone comes back in one piece,” Nathan deadpanned, knowing his own team’s track record.

“Funny man, Jackson,” Vin groused good-naturedly, being the main magnet for trouble.

“If the shoe fits,” he grinned in cheeky response.

Ezra noticed JD’s frown and asked, “What seems to be the trouble, Mr. Dunne?”

“Yeah, kid,” Buck nodded as he leaned back in his chair next to AJ. “Any word on our magpie?”

“Although, I do not quite recall any of the three objects in question being referred to in any matter of reflectivity,” Ezra interjected.

“In English,” Buck sighed.

Nathan was about to respond, but AJ beat him to it. “Ezra means that none of the stolen objects had any kind of shine to them.”

“Not bad, Darlin’,” Chris smirked. “Seems like you’ll understand Ez with no problem.”

“Hardly, Mr. Larabee,” said Southerner sniffed. “Ms. Johnson clearly possesses a natural affinity for the spoken word.”

“Yeah, but wait until you try that on her when she’s been running on caffeine for the past week and she’s _this_ close to a migraine,” Buck pointed out. “I’d shoot you, too, if I needed quiet real quick.”

Ezra didn’t take the jab to heart as he was well aware of his habit to talk unlike his compatriots. Yet, for all their grousing, he knew without doubt that they accepted him.

A few minutes later, they found themselves looking for something to talk about which was appropriate for a female like AJ to listen to.

“So,” Buck sighed. “JD. Have you told’em about that book you picked up from Casey?”

“Oh, yeah,” JD bobbed his head up and down. “Yeah, it’s an awesome book. The plot is so well developed and the characters are so well-written. I’d like to read it at the office, but I could end up reading it all day.”

“I think it’s a kid book,” Buck told them. “And a girl book, besides.”

“But it’s got something for everybody,” JD protested. “I just don’t understand why someone hadn’t said anything. Just because the author supposedly wrote it in high school doesn’t mean it’s not as good as some of the other, more experienced, fantasy books.”

“I like a good fantasy book,” Nathan jumped in. “But I like a good mystery, too. What about you, AJ?”

Chris winked at the medic, knowing what he was up to. “A murder mystery’s always good,” he drawled.

“Historical thrillers,” Josiah admitted.

“That Dan Brown fella writes a good book,” Buck fondly remembered _Angels & Demons_ and the _Da Vinci Code_.

“I liked his book _Deception Point_ ,” AJ offered.

“I myself favor science fiction,” Ezra confessed, much to their surprise. Even after all this time, they still had a lot to learn about the Southerner.

Vin lifted a finger. “Native American stories. And I like stories about Westward Expansion."

AJ looked at their expectant expressions and frowned. “You don’t like Western stories?” she seemed genuinely curious, which Chris was happy to see. She was showing emotion.

“This is about last week, isn’t it?” Nathan grinned. Seeing the others turn to look at him, he explained about AJ’s friend telling her that the story of the Magnificent Seven inspired the Japanese film, which was based on actual people in the American West.

“I’ve never heard that story before,” JD smiled slightly. “It’s an interesting version, to be sure.”

“I just find it hard to believe that the ‘Magnificent Seven’ doesn’t read Western,” amusement colored her tone and made her eyes lighter, which glanced around at the decorations.

“Yeah, alright, Darlin’,” Buck conceded. The others hid smiles as they exchanged looks. Maybe Nathan asking her to call them by their first names was starting to warm her up. At least her amusement was genuine. “Ya got us.”

“It’s not that we don’t like the genre,” Josiah told her. “And we should, by all means, but we’ve never actually thought about it.”

“Why?” JD frowned. “AJ’s got a point. We’re constantly being compared to these movies and, well, the _Saloon_ … Why’ve we never managed to get into the Western genre?”

This started a conversation ranging from genres to sports, but Chris noticed that AJ seemed to be content listening to them instead of joining in. At least her eyes were still lighter than he was used to seeing them. Chris kept studying her as they finished lunch.

‘She doesn’t like whatever vegetable that is,’ he noted, watching her avoid some sort of green vegetable in the dish that Ezra had ordered for her. Health conscious, she may be, but she evidently didn’t eat all of it. Nathan was eating his own dish – not wanted her to feel left out – and seemed to be studiously avoiding the same vegetable.

“What _is_ that?” JD wanted to know, having also been watching them.

“Something you wouldn’t catch me eating,” Nathan told him firmly, AJ nodding in agreement.

“Why, Darlin’,” Buck smirked, draping an arm across the back of her chair. “What did that poor thing do to you?”

“My cousin made me eat it once,” she told him. “It didn’t turn out well.”

Deciding that they were going to hold off on any family talk until they got to know her better, Chris nodded. “That would do it.”

Chris was happy with the way things were going, and they went very well. There was some progress that he felt was made, but – as with all things – that came to an end as they were finishing up.

AJ had been all ready to go, when Josiah pointed out that she was the only one that hadn’t been to visit the bathroom. It could have just been them, but it seemed like she was confused about why she was being shooed in the bathroom’s direction.

Surely, she needed to do _some_ thing in there? The boys had observed the ‘bathroom trips’ with the many other women in their lives, for one reason or another.

Maybe AJ forgot.

They were waiting for her to come back when Ezra suddenly felt a pair of eyes boring into his back. Looking up, he found Inez staring at him. When she realized that she had his attention, she immediately waved at him to come over.

“Hey, Ez,” Vin frowned slightly. “Inez don’t look so good.”

The Seven immediately abandoned their table to discover the problem.

“What seems to be the problem, Inez?” Chris frowned at the relief on her face as they approached. A sinking feeling made itself known as she just pointed them toward… the women’s restroom.

Buck immediately raced down the hall and found AJ in the grip of an unfamiliar male.

“Excuse me, sir,” Ezra immediately appeared, shooting Buck a warning look. As much as he himself wanted to tear him off of AJ, Ezra knew that violence would need to be a last resort. “May I be of assistance?”

“That son of a bitch killed my sister,” he growled, shaking AJ, who winced at the hard grip on her arm. “And mark my words, missy,” he hissed at AJ, “he’s going to kill you, too.”

“Sir-” Ezra began, only to have the bigger man thrust AJ into him as he brushed past. Ezra immediately gathered the brunette to him for protection from further attack and squeezed her to tell her that he was there to keep her from further harm. “Are you injured, Ms. Johnson?” he ran careful eyes over her as Nathan moved in.

She shook her head, watching Nathan – who’d seen the man grabbing and shaking her by the arm – undo her cuff and roll it up to expose her elbow area and inspect the already forming bruises.

Inez let them use the empty party room for privacy, standing by to get whatever Nathan needed.

“Who was that creep?” JD was torn between tracking him down and making sure that AJ was really alright as he hovered near AJ and Nathan.

Inez shook her head. “He was at the end of the bar, drinking a beer,” she told them. “It was only when I was coming back to get some more ingredients that I realized that he had gone.”

“He was waiting for me when I got out,” AJ added, letting Nathan take her pulse. “I was on my way back when he grabbed me and told me not to give in. You heard the rest.”

“You recognize him?” Vin frowned.

AJ sighed and shook her head. “No… but I get the feeling that I’m probably supposed to. I can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen him before. I don’t know where, but I have.”

Nathan finally relaxed and patted her on the shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” he concluded. “I have some lotion back at the office you can use.”

“I’m alright, Agent Dunne,” she turned to him. “You don’t have to hover.”

She’d gone back to using their titles, but Chris understood that she was a little shaken up, even though it seemed like she wasn’t ruffled at all.

“Are we going to go after him?” JD looked to Chris.

“Didn’t do much harm,” Chris carefully studied AJ to make sure that she was as fine as she thought she was.

“Can we just go back to the office?” AJ carefully prodded her arm.

“That would be for the best,” Nathan nodded. “Get your mind off the excitement.”

“But I wonder who he was talking about,” Buck mused.

None of them had any idea, but – as they left – none of them took notice of the figure slipping out the alley door of the Saloon.

“Yeah, it’s Blake. Listen, I think we need to initiate Plan B. Yes, that Plan B. No, no. I’ve recently come across an interesting bit of information and would like to follow up on it. Yes. Not just yet. Yes. I think your source may be on to something, but… Of course. ‘How?’” he smiled slightly as he hurried from the alley. “Oh, you just leave that to me.”

** _Later_

After all the excitement at lunch, the team once again immersed themselves in reports.

Ezra disappeared for about an hour after coming back to the office, but no one was really worried as he came back with a latte for himself and a small smile on his face.

JD was thinking about the favor he still had to ask AJ to do, but was at something of a loss.

Nathan had already done his favor and Vin’s was tomorrow. Not to mention the fact that AJ still had to perform some kind of favor for her secretary friends…

JD grabbed his small planner and travelled through the office doors to see AJ typing something up. “Hey, AJ? Can I talk to you?”

“Of course, Agent Dunne,” she paused to look up at him.

Nathan had told them about asking her to call them by their first names off the clock, but JD still didn’t like being called ‘Agent’ by someone who was supposed to work this closely with them.

“I know that I have to get you to do a favor for me, but I honestly don’t know what favor to ask you to do,” he ruefully admitted.

AJ tilted her head, studying him thoughtfully. “I think the first question to ask yourself is what interests you?”

“I don’t want to make you do something that you don’t want to do,” he told her.

“I don’t have a choice,” and she seemed like it didn’t bother her at all! JD couldn’t help thinking that there was something wrong with her nonchalance. If it were him, he would have made some ground rules about what he would and wouldn’t do.

It was strange, though.

Ever since she ended up with them, it was like she didn’t challenge them, following docilely like a lamb with whatever they wanted. She acted like her opinion didn’t matter.

Well, JD was going to prove her wrong.

Thinking for a minute, he set his planner on her desk and went to get his chair. Settling in, he leaned back and crossed his arms. “There’s nothing really going on,” JD pursed his lips. “No movies I want to see or anything.”

“What about the newspaper?” she thoughtfully suggested.

“Yeah! Maybe there’s something in the paper we could do, or at least an idea,” he jumped up and raced to the breakroom, almost running Josiah down on his way.

“Easy, Brother,” he rumbled.

“Sorry, ‘Siah,” he called. “Has anyone seen any newspapers?”

“Doin’ papier-mâché, Kid?” Buck laughed.

“No, me and AJ are going to pick something for her to do.”

“That’s one way of doin’ it,” Vin agreed. “That leaves Josiah, Chris, Buck and Ezra.”

“And Ms. Johnson’s compatriots,” the Southerner reminded.

JD was busily rifling through drawers and the cabinets and was about to try his luck in the supply closet attached to the breakroom when the lights suddenly went out.

“Hey!”

“What’s goin’ on?” he heard Buck from the other room.

JD felt around for the wall and slowly walked to the breakroom door. Outside, he heard the others moving around in confusion. “Is everyone alright?” he called out.

“Dandy,” Buck huffed.

Ezra managed to get to the blinds of the window making up almost half of the wall next to his and Vin’s desk, and opened them.

“That’s better,” Nathan sighed as Chris opened his door.

“Someone better have a good story for this,” he scowled, glaring at all of them. His own window was letting in light as well and they noted the sunset.

“The emergency generators should’ve kicked in by now,” JD frowned.

“Didn’t they just check the generators?” Nathan asked him.

“They should have,” he answered, confident to let go of the wall and headed over to his desk. He picked up his phone and shook his head. “Looks like everything’s down. Lights, power, phones…”

“Security should still be up, though,” Vin got up from his desk. Sighing as the generators still hadn’t come up, his gaze traveled to the half open office door and saw a flashlight beam sweep the floor. “Darlin’, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” she called back, stepping into view with a flashlight in hand.

“Well, what now?” Buck looked around at them.

Chris turned at the sound of his cell ringtone and left the others to answer it.

“I wonder what happened,” Josiah mused, leaning back in his chair.

“I don’t know,” JD ran a hand through his hair. “If the power goes out, the back-ups should kick in after a few minutes. But those didn’t. And we should at least have a dial tone on the phone network, but we don’t have that, either.”

“And you said they just did a check on the back-ups.”

“Yeah, or they should have. It’s a good thing Security’s still up or we’d be completely screwed.”

“And sittin’ ducks dead in the water,” Buck stood with a sigh.

Chris came back out of his office. “Travis wants us to evacuate the building. Evidently, it looks like the sprinkler system malfunctioned, bringing the power down with it. And they found a leak in the fuel line, which explains what happened to the generators.”

Buck whistled lowly. “What a day, huh?”

“The odds of such a convenient chain of events are low, but they do occur,” Ezra crossed his arms as he looked at the others. Seeing AJ’s frown, he hastened to assure, “Not to worry, Ms. Johnson. The problem will be solved in time for Monday.”

But AJ shook her head. “It’s just… This all seems a little _too_ convenient, doesn’t it?”

“Darlin’, are you suggestin’ that someone did this on purpose?” Buck shook his head. “Why?”

“Just a thought, is all.”

“It _can_ be just an accident,” Nathan told her. “You don’t have to automatically think it’s a sabotage attempt or anything.”

“Rarely has anything been ‘just an accident’,” she muttered, probably not realizing that Ezra was close to her and could hear her words.

JD tilted his head and saw that she seemed to have her heart set on this not being accidental. Remembering his earlier thoughts, he shrugged. “Well, whatever it is, we should probably go.”

They gathered up their things and met out in the hall, Chris firmly locking the door behind them.

“Er, Darlin’,” Buck suddenly frowned at her. “Why exactly do you have a flashlight?”

She lifted a shoulder, setting it down to rummage through one of her desk drawers. “I always have some handy,” she withdrew seven more, all in silver grey.

“Why do you keep flashlights in your desk?” he raised an eyebrow.

AJ stared up at him before blinking. “…habit?”

Buck turned to the others. “She keeps flashlights in her desk out of habit,” he deadpanned.

Chris shrugged, “Works for me.” He reached out to grab one.

“There are worse things to have around,” Josiah commented, handing the lights out to the others.

The group headed down the hall toward the stairs and saw others making their way to the lower floors by aid of their phone screens, key chain flashlights and other types of light sources.

“Yo, Johnson!” one of the twins hollered as Arina and Tammy climbed down the stairs toward them. “You’re alive.”

“We tried to reach you,” Tammy told her.

“The phones are down,” JD shrugged.

“How many more are up there?” Chris wanted to know.

“A good crowd,” one of the twins – or was it the same one? – told him. "Travis wants to see you, by the way.”

“Any idea why?”

“We figure it’s about the power or somethin’,” the other shrugged.

Chris nodded slightly as he turned to the team. “Make sure these girls get out alright. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They waved him off as he went against the crowd and they joined it.

“If it was any other circumstances, we’d end up going down the evacuation route,” JD told AJ. “Now, we’re supposed to go to the lobby and get checked out to leave.”

“Each floor’s got their own routes,” Arina added. “A bunch of personnel have the same routes to take so that we don’t have people spread out all over Denver. When a group reaches the end, the top ranking person there has to check in with Security. Maybe we’ll get to go over the routes before you go.”

Buck, listening in from in front of them, frowned and was about to ask ‘go where?’ until he remembered that AJ was on loan. He was wondering why the idea didn’t sit well with him, when they came out of the stairwell and into the lobby.

There, Security was checking them off as they reached the entrance to the parking garage elevator and stairwell.

“I don’t see any of the other team leaders,” JD looked around. A passing agent told him that none of them came down, all supposedly with Judge Travis.

“Wonder why,” Josiah frowned.

When the group got their turn at check-out, there was a commotion on the stairs before a Bureau Girl raced out and headed straight for them. “AJ.”

She looked up and nodded. “Taylor.”

“Is your license plate D1HC?” she wrung her hands.

“…why?” AJ studied her.

Taylor just looked at her, eyes saying what she couldn’t.

“Taylor,” she frowned, “I have seen that look before and it’s pretty obvious that when someone asks that question, the other end does not fare well.”

Taylor just took her hand and led her to the stairs with the others following. “I’m so sorry, but… we just found it. I don’t know who or what they were trying to say, but…”

She led the group down to the second level where there was a sizable crowd gathered around a vehicle near the middle of the huge space.

*** 


	15. Saturday, June 11, 2011

Nathan fiddled with the radio as he drove toward Purgatorio.

Not being able to settle on a station, he turned it off and peeked a glance toward his passenger, who stared out the window.

AJ hadn’t said a word since he picked her up at her place and Nathan knew that she hadn’t been exactly chatty before, but the atmosphere was still unnerving.

If he didn’t know any better, he’d say that she was still in shock.

After last night, he didn’t blame her.

Nathan himself still found it hard to believe.

AJ’s time was almost up with them and everyone in the building knew that. But considering what happened to her car…

The dark brown Volkswagen Beetle had been covered in what looked to be Andy’s missing paint.

The windshield had been smashed in and AJ’s missing stack of post-it notes littered the entire scene.

And if that hadn’t been enough, someone had taken a knife to her tires and used some of the green paint to write the word ‘slut’ on the ground in front of the car.

Even now, Nathan felt hot anger bubble inside of him at the thought that someone had taken from other people – including AJ herself – to destroy something of AJ’s. You just didn’t do that to someone, never mind one of Nathan’s teammates.

The camera that covered the area had been taken off-line. Someone had told them that the camera had been experiencing problems and that they were going to try to fix it, but then the building blacked out.

Remembering what AJ had said about the awfully convenient events leading up to the discovery, Nathan had to admit that her instincts had been spot on. The only reason for the power to have cut out like it had suggested that the one responsible had wanted people to know about this. Unfortunately no one had seen or heard anything to lead them to the perpetrator.

It had obviously been a message for AJ, but no one was quite sure what she’d done to deserve it or what the message actually was.

It hadn’t much looked like AJ knew, either, but she’d just withdrew into herself and hadn’t been much help.

The team had been furious that this happened to one of their own and had wanted in on the investigation, but Judge Travis had managed to head them off at the pass, expressly forbidding any interference or pressuring from them.

Andy and his team had been notified and expressed their sympathies and offered assistance in whatever they could to help.

When Vin had told AJ that she didn’t have to go to the garden if she didn’t want to, AJ had given him a dark look. To be honest, Nathan had been surprised at the reaction, but AJ had been given a shock and could be forgiven for being out of character.

Then again, maybe it had been some of AJ’s true character peeking out, offended at the notion that she was being offered a way out of an obligation.

Josiah had hastily added that maybe it would take her mind off things and AJ had given him a thankful look. Evidently, actions and body language seemed to work better than words.

So, despite what happened – or maybe because of it -, Nathan and AJ were currently on their way to help with Vin’s garden.

The boys had done it before, so Nathan parked in front of Vin’s apartment where Vin’s – for lack of a better term – gang could keep an eye on the car and led AJ down the street where a crowd was already hard at work.

“There you two are,” Buck waved at them. He was holding a small shovel and standing next to a wheel barrow. “Wondered what kept you.”

“Hey, Buck,” Nathan pulled on his gloves. “Anything we can do to help?”

“Yeah. You can help Miz Carla plant some radishes. Darlin’, them girls over there want to plant some pumpkins and we ain’t got enough eyes to help.”

AJ looked over to where a group of eight year olds were morosely playing in some grass and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“We’re off the clock, Darlin’,” Buck reminded. “Just Buck, remember? No Agent or Sir.”

“Yes, Master,” she deadpanned, giving him a small smile before turning and leaving them alone.

“… I see we got ourselves a smart aleck,” Buck grinned with delight.

Nathan was sure that AJ had a personality, now. He was equally sure that they’d like it when she finally let them see beyond those walls she’d built. “Looks like.”

They exchanged looks, content to know that they were wearing her down, and went off to their respective roles.

*Later

As the morning wore on, Vin caught sight of AJ a few times. She seemed alright after the shock of seeing her car like it was.

Who would hate her enough to trash her car like that, even though she was set to leave soon?

Someone did, apparently.

But it seemed like they were right in bringing her along after all.

The girls she was helping seemed happy to have her undivided attention as they worked on their pumpkin patch.

One of the girls’ older brother, Vin noted, was keeping an eye on them so the team didn’t feel the need to worry about AJ.

Of course, Vin had alerted his gang to keep an eye on the brunette anyway, and to report any trouble to him. He was amused to see that one of them would shadow her when she wandered off to look for something for the building of the pumpkin patch.

He wasn’t at all sure if she noticed, but it didn’t look like she did – or was at the very least uncomfortable – so Vin let them keep a watch on her.

In the meantime, Vin and the rest of the team gamely helped out with the bigger projects.

They were all kept busy, so it took a minute to realize that lunch was ready to be served.

It was a buffet style way of serving – with many families contributing something – and the team was just looking for a place to sit when Vin suddenly started counting teammates and felt his heart stop when he found one missing. He looked around frantically, not seeing AJ anywhere, when Chris frowned.

“Something wrong?”

“We lost AJ!” JD answered, also looking around.

“No, we didn’t,” Josiah smiled reassuringly. “She’s in the corner over there by the tree we planted the first year. Apparently, it’s no boys allowed,” he chuckled, nodding over to their missing eighth who evidently found an all-girl crowd.

“I feel kind of bad, though,” JD huffed a sigh. “This was supposed to be a team outing.”

“It doesn’t look like she minds that much,” Buck observed.

“But maybe we should tell her it’s a team activity?”

“I don’t think it would be a good idea to force her,” Nathan argued. “If she wants to hang out with other people, then she should.”

Vin looked toward AJ and saw that she was intently listening to one of the girls with a thoughtful look. “Maybe this is good,” he mused, digging into his lunch. “Everyone needs to recognize AJ’s part of the team. Getting to know her would be a good idea.”

It did make sense.

Plus, it freed up the adults who would be tasked with watching the younger kids.

But the intent hadn’t been for her to baby-sit…

Well, any help was welcome, he reflected, and she didn’t seem to mind a group of shadows following her if she did notice them.

And she seemed to be good with kids.

Speaking of kids, Vin spotted a young girl nearby. He remembered her as having just moved to the neighborhood with her two cousins. She was standing by herself, clutching a bag of flower bulbs and seemed to be upset about something.

He was about to go over to see what was wrong when AJ detached from her crowd and headed over.

Chris had seen them as well and, glancing at Vin, got up to find a closer spot to the conversation.

The blond found a vantage point where he could both see and hear without being found out himself.

“Hey, there,” AJ crouched beside the upset girl. “What seems to be the problem?”

The kid just held up her flower bulbs and looked at the many vegetables growing.

AJ followed her gaze and blinked before looking back at her, head tilted consideringly.

“Mrs. Rosa say no flowers,” tears started flowing down her small face.

“Ah,” AJ nodded. After a minute, she sighed, “Well, you know, flowers might help.”

Dark eyes widened. “My flowers?” she said hopefully.

“Can I see?” AJ took the bulbs and studied them as the child stood waiting nervously. “Hm… oh? What’s this?”

“What? What?” she anxiously questioned.

“Did you know these are special flowers?” AJ smiled widely. “Thank you so much for bringing them!”

“Special flowers?"

“You plant these flowers in a special garden and your vegetables grow better. “I’ve seen it work.”

“But Mrs. Rosa –”

“Doesn’t know about the special garden,” AJ told her. “We don’t have one here that I can see, but we can start one. And maybe if these flowers work, then we can plant more.”

“But how do we make a special garden?” she wanted to know. “How do flowers help?”

“I’ll help you start the garden and you can tell me if it works. Do you know how the garden works? No? Oh, see, I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. But it only works if you take good care of the flowers.”

Chris was too interested in the conversation to realize that the boys were getting ready to get back to work.

The little girl thought about it before nodding.

“Alright. Come on. See those girls over there? They might want to help.”

“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed, reaching out for AJ’s hand. Chris watched thoughtfully as they left to return to the tree and nodded to himself.

Having some idea about AJ’s special garden, Chris finished lunch and helped put the finishing touches on his earlier project before finding a random shovel and loped off toward the back of the lot.

“Hey,” JD frowned at him. “Where are you going?”

The others shrugged at each other before following him with more shovels.

When they got to the back, AJ and three other little girls were already there with their heads together.

Chris tapped AJ on the shoulder. “Where do you want this garden?”

She blinked at him before pointing to a few feet away.

Now knowing what they were volunteering for, the team set to work, digging a big enough patch for eight flower bulbs.

Ezra watched the girls plant for a moment before going off in search of a watering can.

He found one a few minutes later and filled it with sufficient water before trudging back. As he came up to them, he saw that they had an audience in a young black haired child around eight or nine years of age.

“Good afternoon,” he smiled as blue eyes turned up to him. “You are more than welcome to join us.” Just because he’d never seen her before didn’t mean that she didn’t have reason to be there.

The girl just blinked up at him for a few more minutes before returning her gaze to the group and shaking her head. “I’ll watch,” she clasped her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels.

“If you are certain,” Ezra nodded as she smiled brightly.

Deciding to let her be, he returned to the task at hand. When he turned back a few minutes later to ask her name, she was gone.

***


	16. Monday, June 13, 2011

Chris scrubbed a hand through his short blond hair.

It was official.

He'd just gotten the email that Travis had sent out.

Wednesday, everyone outside the team would know.

He got it because he was the only team leader that had a 'Bureau Girl'. Travis had talked to him about it Friday and he did want to tell the boys, but then he found out that AJ's car had been trashed.

Chris and Buck still had contacts with the Denver PD. The investigator in charge was actually a friend and Chris had pulled some strings to get some information. Inside job or not, no one got away with doing this to one of his own.

The results hadn't come in just yet, but Chris knew that he would be getting a message from his friend. After that… well, the person in question would be tied to a chair in a remote location while 'someone' phoned in a tip.

Until then, however, he had an announcement to make as soon as Johnson decided to grace them with her presence. It was slightly unusual for her to be late, but there was heavy traffic and a host of potential issues that may have happened.

Frowning, he tried to remember if he'd ever told her to call in if she was late and made a note to remedy that when a knock came on his open door.

Looking up, he noted Ezra observing him with his hands clasped behind his back. "Something I can do for you?"

He smiled slightly. "I thought I would take this opportunity to request a loan for the surveillance van."

"Depends," he eyed him. "Why d'you need it?"

"Mr. Dunne and Mr. Wilmington have graciously agreed to accompany me in a bit of … reconnaissance tomorrow. Nothing strenuous, I assure you. I merely require some information."

"Contact?" Chris straightened.

"Reconnaissance," he corrected.

Chris was frowning as he attempted to figure it out – because there was obviously a message somewhere in there – when he noticed Buck perk up and saunter toward the door.

"Hey, Darlin'," he stuck his head out, the others hearing him easily. "Runnin' late, ain't ya? 'Mean, not to worry you, Darlin', but Chris – what the  _hell_  happened?!"

Chris and Ezra looked at each other before joining the rush to the door.

Buck was hovering over her while Nathan knelt in front of the brunette as she sat in her chair, the medic gently tilting her head from side to side as he examined her slightly dark and puffy eye.

"What happened?" JD anxiously questioned, coming to stand on the other side of the desk.

"That's what we'd all like to know," Chris crossed his arms, reserving homicidal judgment until he'd heard her side of the story.

Vin reappeared with the first aid kit and gave it to Nathan as AJ sighed.

"My alarm clock," she told them reluctantly. "I somehow managed to set it to go off almost an hour and a half before I usually do and I got startled out of a dead sleep, stumbled out of bed, tripped over the rug and ended up losing to my dresser," AJ sounded thoroughly disgusted with herself. "I'm going to burn that rug, I swear."

Well, Chris didn't see anything in her body language that suggested anything more dangerous than a rug. Ezra didn't seem to think so, either.

And for all the distress she was showing, it may as well have been an accident. She didn't flinch in more than discomfort as Nathan applied a salve to her eye.

"You can borrow my lighter," Vin offered, relaxing against the wall across from them.

Josiah was watching the scene and frowned thoughtfully as that odd knowing feeling tried to wiggle into existence. He was hit with it at odd moments and he just couldn't figure it out, let alone explain it in words.

"I'll keep that in mind," she told him.

As AJ let Ezra escort her to the conference room, Nathan smiled at Chris.

"Far as I can tell, she's telling the truth," he confirmed.

"That's good," Buck nodded, watching JD, Vin, Ez and AJ enter the conference room. "Do we know if she's seein' someone, though?" Buck mused. "Maybe I shoulda told her to come to me if she had guy problems, too."

"I don't think she would," Josiah sadly informed them. "We still haven't found a way to connect to her, yet."

But the four knew that women wouldn't tell a soul if they were being beaten up because they thought they deserved it. Domestic abuse victims refused to report it.

Come to think of it,  _was_  she seeing someone?

It was all Chris could do to keep quiet as his friends headed after the other four. When it was deemed safe, he let a grin appear, honestly amused at the fact that they thought AJ was straight when he knew better.

Of course, domestic abuse between same sex partners was also a problem.

Chris absently re-entered the office and closed the doors behind him. To his knowledge, only he and Vin knew that she was – in fact – gay. He wondered if anyone else knew on the team, but put that thought away for later as he joined his team around the conference table.

"Hey, Hoss," Buck waved a hand. "Any news on Friday night?"

"Not quite yet, no," he sighed, watching AJ scribble in what the boys termed as her 'Meeting Notebook'. "I'm waiting for someone to get back to me. In the meantime, I have an announcement to make."

That got everyone's undivided attention.

"As of June 23rd, the Swap has been extended another month."

" _Why_?"

The boys turned to stare at AJ. Something must have been written on their faces because she winced.

"I didn't mean it like that. I – it's – I've been under the impression that it's always been one month. Agent Lowe isn't going to be happy."

"I know he won't," Chris shrugged. "They found some unsavory visitors and the building's been placed on a list to be fumigated. That means that everyone's been relocated. They decided to just keep the girls and not bother with having to displace anyone."

"Where'd they find the critters?" Buck frowned.

"On every floor," he sighed. "The Bureau office superiors have decided to fumigate twice. Once to kill them and again to keep them out. That'll be a month, easy."

"All the Bureau Girls?" AJ blinked, head tilting.

"Everyone else will get the news Wednesday. And, yes, all the girls."

This gave the team more time to really get to know AJ.

"No problem," Buck rubbed his hands together.

"And don't forget," Chris reminded. "Johnson still has to complete the Auction requirements. This means I still have nothing lined up from Wilmington, Sanchez, Standish and Dunne."

JD nodded thoughtfully. After Friday's excitement, his own thoughts had been thrown for a loop. "Hey, AJ. What about the girls? Did you have to do something for them, yet?"

"Arina wants me to stop by later today."

"Good," Chris nodded. "Keep me posted."

After the meeting, Chris returned to his office to find an email from his friend at the PD.

' _Chris,_

_You said that you wanted to know about your girl's car._

_The paint was the same that your friend said was taken. Adding to the fact that we haven't managed to actually find the can, the paint at the scene does not match the volume from the can described. That means that there's some missing._

_The windshield took a beating and heaven knows what was used. We're still working on that, but the tires were taken out with vicious jabs. Someone doesn't like Johnson and wanted to let her know it. Something set them off and Johnson must have found the trigger._

_Can she think of anything she may have done or who she got mad enough?_

_We found some prints that don't match Johnson's and a few different strands of hair. We're trying to match the prints, but you'll have to ask Johnson about it. I'll send details a little later this week when we've got something more concrete.'_

Chris sat back thoughtfully.

AJ was the target for something that someone may have thought she did. And the word 'slut' had been painted on the ground in front of her car.

This could have been made to read two ways: One, a former girlfriend was upset with her under some misguided intentions. Two, someone didn't know she was gay and had seen her with a boyfriend or something and had gotten the wrong idea.

Either way, Chris was going to get some answers and make sure they knew who they were dealing with.

_"_ _Agent Larabee, sir? Judge Travis is here to see you."_

Chris blinked at his phone for a second before pressing the button. "Send him in, AJ."

The greetings from the team alerted Chris to his presence.

"I apologize for dropping by unannounced," Travis sighed as he sunk in a chair and Chris closed and locked blinds and door.

"Not a problem."

Travis watched him settle back behind his desk. "I have discovered something interesting concerning Friday's events and I would like to run them by you. The generator fuel line was deliberately reinstalled incorrectly, but done in a manner that would have gone unnoticed when it was seen earlier that afternoon. As for the lights going down, someone apparently used a virus to bring down central power and the sprinkler system."

"Then AJ was right," Chris remembered her reluctance to believe this was an accident.

"This was designed very carefully," Travis went on. "I spoke to the security guard at the gate and was told that there had been no one who went in or came out of the garage at the time that the power went out."

"It was an inside job?" he leaned back with a thoughtful frown. "And AJ's car was… This was all a plan to trash her car."

"The why and who is more important than the how," he told him. "Everyone in this building is one of my people. I do not take kindly to someone who plots to harm one of them, especially if he or she has to resort to this."

"You told us to stay away from this," the blond studied him.

"Yes, I did. I understand how Ms. Johnson is a member of your team, but I am concerned about what would happen should this other party try again."

"We'll keep an eye on her," Chris nodded.

Travis paused for a moment. "You got my email concerning the Swap?"

"Broke the news this morning."

"And Ms. Johnson's new accessory?"

"Claimed accidental," he frowned. "You saying she lied?"

Travis, however, seemed to be off into his own world.

Chris had half a mind to drag AJ in and ask if she had any idea who would want to send her a message, when Travis came back to himself.

"No, I'm not saying she lied," Travis smiled reassuringly. "I was merely curious. Perhaps whoever vandalized her car would find another opportunity, so I advise a careful eye."

Chris couldn't help thinking that there was something going on with the older man, but he didn't have the first inkling what.

* * *

AJ sighed as she dropped onto her chair.

She knew that the four girls who dragged her into their group thought she was crazy for wanting to always take the stairs. They didn't realize all the different ways things could go wrong in an elevator. In fact, the last time she let herself get into an elevator –

'Was with Agent Jackson,' she ruthlessly shut that train of thought down.

Sighing again, she absently made sure that her desk resembled the layout of her other one at the Bureau and scowled at the position of the screen for the… whatever time it was at present as she'd lost count. She just didn't feel right having the computer monitor on her left. Especially since visitors would approach from the right.

It was the same at the Bureau, but she wouldn't hate it so much if she could only face the direction that visitors came from.

And if she had her way…

But she didn't, did she?

Rummaging in her loaned desk, she took out a small compact that Tammy had shyly given her about a week ago. And speaking of the Quartet…

AJ made a note on a purple sticky note to ask Agent Larabee if she could have an extra half hour for lunch tomorrow as Arina had expressed her Favor in light of her cousin's… co-worker's… birthday thing and didn't feel comfortable about going to a florist by herself.

Personally, AJ would have expected the favor coming from Tammy – the one she'd pegged as the shy member of the four - , but she didn't know Arina well enough to say for sure.

Agent Larabee had stepped out for a bit and AJ wasn't sure when to expect him back, so she put the sticky note on her monitor to remind herself. That done, she opened the compact and smiled wryly at her reflection.

'At least Agent Jackson's salve doesn't sting,' she mused, examining it with subconscious ease. She thought back to her arrival that morning and frowned slightly.

All members of Team Seven had shown – to her – undue concern. She hadn't lied when she told them about what happened.

Well, there were a few altered details, sure, and she left some things out… but it was the truth.

She  _did_  startle, and she  _did_  stumble and trip over a rug, and she  _did_  slam into a piece of furniture. That was all true.

But one thing she was completely truthful about was that it had actually been her fault.

Oh, she wasn't stupid.

A woman comes to work with a black eye and the consensus is that she's been beaten up.

But there was no being beaten up!

Agent Allen could tell them. He'd been there, after all.

Dropping the compact onto her desk, she turned the computer on. She opened her in-box and noted the series of emails from Agent Lowe and told herself to open them later. Some of the Bureau Girls wanted to make sure that she was okay – again - , making AJ roll her eyes. She could handle her problems by herself, thanks.

Sending the story to them, she spied an e-mail alert and eagerly opened it, grey eyes scouring the article and giving a laugh at the writing. She knew who really deserved that credit. If they were half as trained as they were said to be –

She started slightly as her phone rang.

"Eleventh floor, Team Seven offices."

" _Johnson, get me three files,"_  Agent Larabee ordered before listing them.  _"I want them on my desk before I get back."_

"Yes, sir," she confirmed, waiting until he had hung up like she'd been trained. She got up to go to the small file room next to her desk and sighed. This was her life, now.

And, while it still took some getting used to, she was happy with it. Or so she told herself. There was no going back.

But really. Her job was good and she did have passable colleagues…

AJ shook her thoughts away and grabbed the files. She'd made her choice and she wasn't going to complain. All she needed to do was move on.

But, even so…

She rubbed her chest absently as she made her way out.

"Good Afternoon, Ms. AJ."

She stopped and blinked as she found the last person she wanted to see standing on her side of the desk. "Agent Westover. How may I help you?" she ran cool grey eyes over him, voice frosty. She had to give him credit, though. He waited until Agent Wilmington had stepped out for some coffee before going after her.

She'd been more than happy to let the Lothario take care of her Pest problem, since he seemed to have something against Pest for whatever reason. No reason for her to deal with the little things when someone else had taken it upon themselves to do it for her, leaving her to deal with the more important things.

Like her car.

* * *

Vin stretched in his chair as he listened to Ezra on the phone with one of his contacts.

JD and Nathan were the only other ones in the office as Chris, Josiah and Buck took off for locations unknown. Vin wondered if they'd come up with a favor for AJ yet.

He was toying with his stapler when his desk telephone rang. "Yeah, Darlin'?"

There was silence on the other end.

Vin sat up with a frown. "Hey, Darlin'. Everythin' okay?" he glanced at the closed doors as Ezra hung up.

"What seems to be the trouble, Mr. Tanner?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Don't know," he put the phone back in the cradle and was just about to stand when it rang again. His greeting had the same response.

"Ms. Johnson does not strike me as a person to make unnecessary calls," Ezra remarked.

Vin replaced the phone once more before deciding to see what the problem was himself. He made his way to the door and stepped out, frowning when he found the desk distinctly AJ-less.

Moving closer, he spied the phone and studied it. There didn't seem to be anything around it that could possibly have pushed the number for his desk. Putting a hand on the desk, he scratched the back of his head with the other.

'Glitch? Maybe. Happened before...' but he couldn't help the strange feeling that he'd been lured out here. Shrugging, he went to unplug the phone to have JD look at it, but paused when he realized that the small file room door was open and the light was on.

Thinking that AJ was in there, Vin decided to take a peek and blinked as he saw Arnie Westover blocking the door. True, he didn't much like the other agent, but Vin had never had a problem with him before.

But then… didn't Chris talk to Arnie's Team Lead just this morning about how Arnie seemed distracted over something or other?

He would be out of touch for a few hours and his Lead was close to reporting him for not getting it together.

Said Lead – Stan Mayfield – had groused that he hadn't had this much of a problem with him before. In fact, it all started not too long before the –

Vin's eyes sharpened as he remembered Buck's determination to win the brunette at the Auction. And the odd conversation before…

Just then, Arnie moved and Vin caught a glimpse of AJ in front of him, glowering. The other Agent reached out and Vin saw AJ press up against the file cabinet behind her to avoid him.

"Come now," Arnie cajoled. "Just one date."

"No," she pressed back even further, files hugged to her chest. Arnie took a few more steps closer and reached out again, but Vin had seen enough.

"Arnie," he smirked as the other half turned. "Reckon Mayfield's lookin' for you again."

"I'm sure he is," he turned his attention back to AJ and smiled.

"I believe that is your cue to… what was it Josie said? Start getting lost," she told him, icy tone making no mistake that she wanted him gone.

"Not quite yet."

Vin didn't like his words, smug tone or body language as Arnie took another step toward AJ in the small room. Vin was also starting to realize why Buck had been so determined to keep AJ away from Arnie.

She clearly wanted away from him and Vin was about to hurry him along when Arnie reached out and tweaked her lapel.

Buck and Chris exited the elevator to see Vin hauling Westover down the hall toward them, the taller man's right eye beginning to swell and his wrists held in a tight grip courtesy of the seething Texan behind him.

"Hey, Arnie," Buck grinned. "What happened to you?"

"Chris," Vin snarled. "Westover is no longer allowed on this floor or near AJ until he learns to keep his hands to himself."

"It was a misunderstanding!" the man sputtered.

"I saw the whole thing," Vin growled. "She ain't going out with you and you know that. Now, leave. Her. Alone."

Buck was almost disappointed to have missed Vin punching the troublesome Agent.

"Westover," Chris stepped aside and watched Vin unceremoniously shove the intruder into the elevator car. "You come near my floor or my secretary again and I'll make sure you never get a government job in the state of Colorado again."

The doors slid shut before there was a response to be found and Buck turned to the seething Texan beside him. "Darlin' okay, Junior?"

"You coulda told me he was botherin' AJ," Vin scowled at him. "Took me this long to put two and two together."

"Sorry, Junior," Buck sighed. He should have known Westover would wait until he was out to make a move. It made more sense to have the other boys watching out for AJ and Buck honestly wasn't sure why he'd never thought of telling them.

Vin, however, did and he softened slightly. "Aw, I know you take to fussin' over a girl if it don't seem like she can take care of herself, but ya gotta remember that she's also part of the team and it ain't fair that the rest of us aren't doin' our jobs as teammates."

Buck did understand that. He took his teammate/ brother duties seriously and AJ was a female to boot. That just made everything that much more significant. But Vin was right. The others had to be involved, too.

"Sorry, boys," he shrugged. "Ya know me."

"That we do," Chris slapped him on the arm. And he would also keep an eye out for Westover, but it was a load off his mind that Buck was actively involving them as the blond didn't quite know where Buck had been going with his endeavors.

"Just figured I scared him off the last time and then the Auction… Didn't seem to have any problems."

"We'll make sure it stays that way," Vin assured.

"Yeah," Chris agreed. He turned to Vin. "But is Darlin' okay? You never said."

He smiled slightly. "Yeah, well, the rest of the boys are keepin' an eye on her."

The three of them walked down the hall back to the office where Ezra was keeping diligent alert.

"Gentlemen," he nodded. "Our unwanted guest?"

"Gone," Vin said shortly.

"I'll be talking to Stan, too," Chris assured. It was unacceptable to have a member of a team engage in this kind of behavior.

JD looked up from a disassembled desk phone as they walked in. "I hope you shot him."

Buck frowned, "Exactly what happened here?"

The breakroom door opened and AJ and Nathan rejoined the group, the medic holding barely suppressed anger and it didn't escape anyone's notice that he was holding his firearm just in case it was needed.

"Thanks, Agent Tanner," she smiled slightly, a small hint of sparkle in her grey eyes. "But if you'd just held off another minute,  _I_  would have knocked his lights out."

"You were mad enough to," Vin nodded.

Chris glanced at Nathan and breathed a sigh as he saw his friend shake his head. AJ wasn't hurt or anything and he was pretty sure that Vin helped stop it from escalating.

"Ms. Johnson," Ezra spoke up from the doorway. "Would you like to file charges?"

"Yeah!" JD straightened. "And a restraining order! We'll write our reports right now."

"Not just yet," she disagreed. "I'll wait one more time before I do anything."

"Darlin' – " Buck began.

"I know, but I'm not a perfect judge of character. I've made similar mistakes in the past where I've jumped the gun before seeing it from all angles."

"But it's sexual harassment," JD protested.

"I'm not arguing that, but it's the first time he's crossed that line with me. The other girls haven't reported a problem with him."

The boys looked at each other. They understood that she seemed to be for the 'three strikes' rule or something, but it didn't mean they liked it.

"I'll still have to tell Stan and Travis," Chris relented. "But you tell any one of us if he bothers you again."

"Yes, sir."

Later, they would realize that the conversation had been the first one that AJ actively participated in, but for the moment the boys waited for Josiah to return to the office before relating how Vin had found AJ and Westover and how the resulting ruckus drew the others out.

Buck then told them about the encounter he'd walked in on some weeks back, before finally noticing AJ's phone in pieces on JD's desk and frowned. "Somethin' wrong with your phone, Darlin'?"

"Yeah," JD frowned at it. "Vin said it kept dialing his number. Remember that virus awhile back?"

The others remembered well that week when everyone's phones had been made to call every number  _but_  the original one and how it had taken forever to get it sorted out. But as the team recalled various instances, they missed the thoughtful look on AJ's face.

* * *

The office was quiet that night, as the boys finished their paperwork.

Chris sat in his office, green eyes idly scanning the team.

JD was still with another team as he helped their tech agent with some equipment and would more than likely be back just in time to catch a ride home with Buck, who was playing some sort of game on his computer, while Nathan and Josiah had their heads together, no doubt going over someone's suspects. Josiah was, after all, one of the best profilers in the building. Having others go to him for help wasn't surprising or unusual.

Vin and Ezra were both absorbed with their own activities at their shared desk.

Everything seemed a little too quiet, but Chris figured it was because they hadn't had a case since AJ –

He blinked. 'So, that's what's been bothering me.'

No outstanding cases have cropped up and it had only been this second that Chris realized that.

He wondered why. He hadn't asked to be taken off rotation. Then again, maybe it was a fluke and the timing was just putting ridiculous ideas in his head.

On the other hand, they weren't the only ATF agents in Colorado. Someone somewhere probably thought the team needed some time off. Not that Chris wasn't grateful or anything, really. And speaking of AJ, now that the blond thought of it, he'd never actually had any kind of experience with a team that had ended up with a secretary as the result of a Swap.

Was this procedure for teams with a 'Swap Secretary'? A period of downtime? Or maybe it was because AJ was used to how her other team worked and Travis didn't want her to get even more on her plate that she already had.

Plausible, but…

Chris walked out of his office and studied them.

"Somethin' wrong?" Vin drawled, having spotted him first.

"Johnson!" Chris called, the door slightly open to ensure her response. "Get in here."

She was immediately at the door. "Agent Larabee?"

"Come in and close the door," he crossed his arms and leaned back against the door to his office. Once six pairs of eyes stared back, he frowned. "Johnson, you know how to work with an active field team, right?"

AJ nodded thoughtfully in response.

Buck snapped his fingers. "I had a feelin'. Think that's why we been taken off rotation?"

"I don't know," the blond shook his head.

"I actually – "

Chris glanced up as AJ cut herself off with a wince. "Somethin' on your mind, Darlin'?"

"No," she shook her head. "Not really – "

"It's quite alright, Ms. Johnson," Ezra smiled encouragingly.

"Yeah, Darlin'," Vin leaned back in his chair. "Chris ain't gonna shoot ya for speakin' up."

"You don't have to keep quiet," Nathan agreed. "Everyone's opinion is taken into consideration."

AJ gave an uncertain look at Chris, who tilted his head. "Well," she bit her lip. "I actually wondered why Judge Travis wasn't letting you go on cases. I mean… he knows that Agent Lowe runs a field team. I was sort of looking forward to seeing the best of the ATF in action," she smiled slightly.

"Did you tell him that?" Chris frowned.

"No. Should I have?"

The others looked at Chris, who shrugged. "I can talk to him. If Johnson's sure she wouldn't mind."

Josiah studied AJ thoughtfully. "Sister, I've been meaning to ask you. Is it normal for teams to have a secretary from the Swap?"

Chris nodded; he'd been thinking the same thing.

"From what's been explained to me," AJ shrugged. "No. No other team's gotten a Swap Secretary."

"Ever?" Buck whistled.

"Yeah. I don't know what the procedure is, but I thought that it wouldn't matter since my other team was also active in the field."

"Well, okay," Buck raised a hand. "So, if we didn't have a secretary before the Swap, and we got one now… then who's Lowe saddled with?"

"No one," AJ's gaze slid to the floor. "There was no one else that could be installed in my place."

"Well, what's done is done," Josiah sagely nodded. "Even with the Swap being extended, you couldn't have foreseen any of this when you learned of your involvement."

"I guess not."

"Alright. I'll talk to Travis and see what we can do," Chris decided. "Johnson, wait in my office, please."

He closed the door after her and returned to the others.

"Chris?" Vin watched him pace the office. "Somethin' on your mind?"

"As much as I want to go back on cases, I'm not sure about Johnson."

"That's a good point," Josiah agreed. "A change of environment, a whole other team, and we've never yet seen her when the team she's assigned to is out on a case. Being on loan just isn't the same, is it? And beside the fact that we've never had a secretary working with us while we're on a case…"

"They can't keep us out of the field until the end of July!" Buck protested. "One month, I understand, but two? I cain't help feelin' useless here."

"And we need to get out of the office for something other than what we've already been going out for," Nathan leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "It's a wonder we've lasted this long."

But it didn't distract them from the fact that they were going to have a secretary when – if – they caught a case before the Swap's end. It was going to have to be a necessary risk.

Of course, there was also the chance that Westover would try again. The Quartet would be a help in that department, but they weren't team secretaries.

There was the added problem of Chris being more comfortable with the situation if AJ wasn't so skittish about spending time with them. She seemed to be purposely avoiding any personal – or professional, for that matter – interaction with them outside of the Auction requirements and Chris was getting annoyed with her constant rebuffs. She was part of their team, dammit! She needed to spend time with them.

Didn't Lowe order her to hang out with their team or something? Chris couldn't get a handle on AJ and he felt it important to have at least some information to go on. Certain Southern teammates notwithstanding.

Connection is what it all really came down to.

"What can we do to make Johnson spend time with us outside of the obvious?" he questioned.

"Poison her?" Buck half joked. "Heaven knows that would make her spend time with us."

"That's a last resort," Nathan chuckled.

"Yeah, unless you'd prefer starting an inter-agency incident?" Chris raised a brow. "You don't poison another team's secretary unless you want to start trouble."

"Well, what other suggestion is on offer?" Ezra tilted his head. "Surely we can get Ms. Johnson to, shall we say, 'loosen up.'"

"It's an idea," Chris shook his head. "But we have to think of another way to get her out of the shell she's determined to hide behind."

He went back to his office and spent a moment thinking before he closed the blinds and locked the door. "Sit on the couch," he told the curious brunette watching him. He turned the nearest chair around to face AJ and sat down. "Nothing will leave this room, okay? As I'm sure you understand, I'm still concerned about the story you gave us about that eye."

"But it really was an accident," she insisted.

Green eyes studied her again and didn't find anything contradicting her, just like before. "Alright. I believe you, but I also need to address a piece of information that has recently come to my attention."

"You mean being gay," she told him. "I had a feeling Agent Tanner would tell you something to that effect."

"And you don't mind that he told me?"

"If I did, I wouldn't have told him," she lifted a shoulder.

Chris nodded thoughtfully, "Anyone else know besides the two of us?"

"I think the twins know. I'm not quite sure that Tammy or Arina have come to that conclusion yet. In regards to the others on the team," she mused, "one has a suspicion, one might be starting to suspect and one may take a while to get there. I don't think one has any idea and the last  _definitely_  knows."

"So, me, Vin and someone else," Chris nodded, idly wondering who fit what statement and who could possibly have already known. It was probably Buck. He was good with things like that. In any case, he had yet to hear anything from anyone, so he'd keep quiet for now. "So, are you in a relationship with anyone right now?"

She didn't have to answer. The expression on her face said to stay the hell away from that topic. And even if that didn't, the brief glimpse of dark shadows ensured it.

"And if we should get a case? You think you can handle it?"

"Oh, I'm sure," she nodded seriously.

"How sure?"

"Very."

Green met grey and Chris gave a slow nod. "But if you find any time where you aren't –"

"It won't happen," she negated, tone confident.

"Alright. But I'll be keeping an eye on you," Chris warned, standing.

"By all means," she stood as well.

Chris let her out before dropping back behind his desk. He rubbed his eyes and smiled wryly. Lowe definitely had a sprite with that one. She had spirit that reminded him of his own team.

He frowned slightly. That begged the question.

Why was she not showing that spirit with the rest of them?

Maybe they were going about it all wrong. Instead of an office setting, a more comfortable setting – say, the ranch – would probably get her to put her walls down a little so that the others could respond. Could be, she honestly wasn't comfortable with people she'd had no idea existed before getting dumped into their lives.

That meant that the boys needed to let some of their own selves shine through, as well. Maybe they could all meet halfway, but they also needed to get her to make her own effort. That would only be possible if she  _wanted_  to.

Did she even like them? Which, Chris would be the first to admit, would go a long way to explaining some of their interactions with her. There was 'colleague like', which didn't mean much of anything; 'person like', pretty much the same thing; 'friend like', which they kind of needed to know because the boys were already in that stage even with her acting aloof; and then 'like like', which wasn't going to happen. From her, anyway.

She seemed – from interactions with her lady friends – to be a pretty loyal sort of person. She probably thought she was being disloyal to her 'real' team if she started being friendly with Team Seven.

Chris was seriously considering a 'mixed team' lunch/outing with Lowe and his team when he heard a muffled shriek followed quickly by a crash. All of the six present team members immediately dropped everything to rush to the door, all manners of scenarios occurring to them, but they were expecting something totally different to what they got.

The blond closed and rubbed his eyes.

'Looks like we found what was left of that paint…'


	17. Tuesday, June 14, 2011

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about taking so long. I have a Muse who I think is ADHD or something. I have two other major projects and she seems to cycle between them, so I guess it's time to finally get somewhere with this series. :O)

By lunchtime, the story was all over the building.

Arina wrung her hands anxiously as she stood by the lobby stairwell. The girls had been buzzing by the time she and Tammy had gotten in.

AJ Johnson had been the recipient of another attack, this time involving what was left of the stolen paint that had been used in the attack on her car.

“Johnson ain’t having any luck at all,” Josie had sympathetically winced.

“Makes you wonder what else is going to happen,” Jodie had mused.

Arina glanced nervously around as she waited for AJ. ‘Just be yourself, Rini,’ she reminded herself. ‘Piece of cake. And you really do need to get those flowers, so it’s two for one.’

She breathed deeply and acted casual. But, Arina still remembered hearing about how AJ had opened the door to her small file room – only to have a paint can come crashing down on her, spilling neon green all over her.

Team Seven had taken her down to the gym where a pair of female agents had let her borrow their own things and Becky had been with some of the other girls in the lobby when AJ had been escorted out to her rental.

Arina blinked out of her thoughts and smiled slightly as she found AJ walking up to her.

“Sorry, I’m late,” AJ smiled ruefully.

“It’s alright. But are you okay? I heard about what happened last night.”

The brunette waved her off. “I’ve had worse things happen. A little bit of paint isn’t going to phase me.” When they arrived at AJ’s rental, Arina noticed a small duffle bag in the backseat. AJ saw her looking and shrugged. “Would you believe that the one time I forget my extra clothes, I get paint dumped on me?”

Sliding into the passenger seat, Arina tilted her head. “You keep extra clothes in your car?”

“Why not?” AJ started the car and headed for the street. “It helps to have those types of things on hand just in case paint decides to dump itself on you.”

“AJ,” Arina directed her to the shop they were supposed to be at. “I really don’t know how to put this, but you’re not like the others, are you? I mean, if any of the other girls had paint dumped on them… well, I don’t know, because it’s never happened before, but I do know that they wouldn’t have taken it so well.”

Arina’s directions were the only conversation between them for long minutes. She wasn’t sure what to make of AJ’s silence, but Arina was fully prepared to apologize when they pulled up at one of Denver’s many flower shops.

“No,” AJ turned an odd smile on her. “I’m not like the other girls. Care to guess why?”

‘She doesn’t seem to dress with personality?’ Arina tilted her head as she got out of the car. ‘Well, she doesn’t. All the other girls do…’ Once she came around to AJ’s side, she blinked as she noticed the brunette’s shoes. They were red and two inches taller than the usual black and half. “Wow, AJ! I didn’t think you had different shoes.” It took a moment for her to realize how that sounded, but AJ nodded.

“Yea. I’ve had these ever since I started at the Bureau,” she explained. “At the ATF, my regular shoes are better for the stairs.”

Arina nodded thoughtfully. AJ was as much of a woman as she was. If a woman liked the shoes, then she could work in them. But why would AJ wear shoes at one office and not the other? Then again, maybe she wanted to make a good impression at the Bureau, wearing the ‘sensible’ black at the ATF because of her ‘stairs’ thing. “Hey, AJ, do you take the stairs at the FBI?”

“I’d like to.”

Arina blinked, head tilting as she remembered – “And what makes your black shoes ‘regular’? Why not wear them all the time?”

“Agent Lowe would have a fit,” she lifted a shoulder. She went on into the shop, leaving Arina - wondering what one had to do with the other - to catch up.

“Welcome,” a nasally voice directed their attention to a ribbon display and the teen restocking it. He was taller than them and had a bored look on his face. Arina thought he was cute, in an apathetic way. ‘Ethan’ had thick framed glasses over disinterested blue eyes. “Please look around and let me know if I can help.”

“Thank you,” Arina smiled brightly, not the least bit taken aback. She could, after all, relate. She’d once had a bookstore job in college. “So, AJ,” she turned to see the other girl looking around. “My cousin says that it doesn’t matter what kind of flowers, just the ones you’re drawn to.”

AJ nodded thoughtfully, grey eyes studying the offerings.

Organized by type and color, smaller flowers were in the front and grew in size until the biggest ones in stock were up against the wall.

“I’m not sure if your cousin’s friend would want the smaller ones,” AJ studied them thoughtfully. “But there might be some use for them in a combination…”

Arina absently agreed as she trailed behind her. The brunette flitted from one bloom to the next, not giving any indication of what she preferred. “What do you think of this one?” she pointed at one nearby.

“It’s nice,” she barely glanced at it before disappearing around a flower display.

Arina looked over at the door as the bell jingled and sighed in relief. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing, so it was a weight off her shoulders now that her back-up was there. “Buck? Hi. I didn’t expect to see you here,” she waved as he ambled over. AJ had told her and the rest of the Quartet that they could call Team Seven by their names out of the office, because of the various undercover things they would engage in from time to time. Better safe than sorry.

“Miss Arina,” he winked conspiratorially. “Hey, Darlin’. Pickin’ flowers?”

“It’s my favor,” Arina told him.

“Oh?” Buck raised an eyebrow. “Who for?”

They made small talk as AJ disappeared down the next aisle. Buck flicked his eyes at the security camera in the corner and grinned as he took his phone out.

Arina kept an eye out for AJ’s location as Buck dialed the surveillance van out back behind the shop, blending in with the delivery trucks. “Ya there, Kid?”

 _“Hey, Buck_ ,” JD answered. _“She doesn’t seem to be set on any one flower, yet.”_

Arina had to giggle at the entire affair.

When Agent Standish had approached her about her favor a few days ago, she wasn’t sure about luring AJ to a flower shop. Even less sure about being part of an ‘undercover operation’, she had listened as Ezra told her of the plan he’d concocted to find out which flower AJ preferred.

Honestly, all this over trying to figure out what flower AJ liked?

But… Arina had to admit, she was having fun.

It sort of made her feel like she herself was an agent. JD would be out in the van, watching the store via camera, as Arina, Ezra and Buck would try from the inside.

Oh, and speaking of which…

“Where is Agent Standish?” she frowned.

“Well,” Buck grinned. “He’s here. Don’t worry.”

They spent almost another half hour at the shop, trying to see if AJ was drawn to a particular flower. They did, however, find that she apparently had something against tulips – glaring darkly at a pretty green one and completely avoiding the pink bunch – and didn’t like pink in general, but they only noticed her subtle avoidance when Ezra pointed JD’s attention toward it.

In the meantime, Arina’s order soon started taking shape.

“Maybe you shoulda been a florist,” Buck commented, eying the assembled bouquet in Arina’s arms.

“They are really pretty, AJ,” Arina smiled widely.

“We should be getting back,” she noted the time.

“Alright. I’ll have them hold onto it,” Arina moved toward the counter. “My cousin wants to pick it up herself.”

Even though she really did need the flowers, Arina was kind of disappointed that they didn’t get what they really came for.

Buck followed her to the counter and shook his head as the shop employee did the necessary things to transfer flower ownership over to Arina’s cousin. “Thanks for helpin’ us out, Arina,” he smiled slightly.

“Sorry that we didn’t get it,” she sighed.

“We shall just have to try again.”

Arina picked her head up to stare at the employee who was giving her a smile. “Agent Standish? Is that – ”

“Of course,” he kept his voice down lest AJ hear him. “I did say ‘undercover’, did I not?”

“I didn’t recognize you,” she shook her head in wonder. Agent Standish really was the top best in his field.

“Good, then Darlin’ won’t, either,” Buck smiled widely as his phone rang. “Yeah?”

_“We got it!”_

“Got what?” he frowned at the excitement in his friend’s voice.

_“AJ’s favorite flower! Look, she’s over by the daisies, but I can’t figure out which color.”_

Buck blinked for a minute before realizing that AJ hadn’t been with them and raced off for the daisies, careful to not be seen. Peering over the nearest divider, he grinned as he saw her standing in front of the daisies. They really were beautiful, but only one color held her attention.

Being behind her, Buck watched her stare for a few minutes before reaching out a finger to gently touch a petal. Creeping back to the others, he grinned widely. “Orange daisies,” he announced.

 _“But she doesn’t seem the type to me,”_ JD mused, his voice coming down the line. _“She looks more like a rose person or Queen Anne’s lace.”_

“Well, she seemed attached to them flowers,” Buck shrugged.

“Our mission has turned into a successful endeavor,” Ezra smiled widely.

“Orange daisies?” Arina thought about it and shrugged. You could normally tell a girl’s favorite flower, but sometimes it just wasn’t possible.

“Alright, folks,” Buck addressed his partners in crime. “Time to pack it in.”

The boys timed it perfectly.

As Arina had AJ stop for a chicken wrap, Buck and JD brought the van back and were both careful to go in separately after AJ. Ezra sauntered in an hour later.

To their knowledge, the team had no idea about their little operation.

** *

Josiah wondered about the pleased look on Ezra’s face, but knew better than to ask. Instead, he called AJ on the phone and asked for a copy of the notes that she’d taken Monday.

_“I’ll have them right out, Agent Sanchez.”_

“No hurry.”

“Hey, JD,” Nathan looked over at him. “How’s that other camera coming along?”

After hearing about the paint incident, JD decided to hook up a camera covering the stairwell because they’d gone over the footage taken from the camera facing the elevator. Whoever had dumped that paint on AJ had used the stairs to set it up.

JD pulled up the footage and grinned. “It’s working the way it’s supposed to.”

“Good, good,” Buck nodded, pleased that things were going well. But they had yet to find the one behind the trashing of AJ’s car and they were likely the same person behind the power outage and last night’s excitement.

“Agent Sanchez?” AJ poked her head in.

“Sister, you are a life saver,” he praised, standing to take her papers.

“Oh, AJ,” Nathan suddenly remembered. “I saw that you’re getting low on sticky notes, so I went and got some more.”

“Well, that’s right nice of you, Nate,” Buck admired the nice pastel green. He grinned at the eight ball on the lower left hand corner.

AJ, on the other hand, just stared at it for a few minutes before slowly reaching out to take it. “Thank you,” she said quietly.

Vin frowned at the look on her face.

Back when he was still in the system – and it still went on, sadly –, the adults either didn’t see or didn’t want to see what some of the younger kids were going through. Vin remembered this one kid who had come in from another state. The younger child hadn’t been any trouble, but his last home was one of the bad ones and Vin had felt a little sorry for the kid. One day, he’d gone over to him and gave him a pretty rock that he’d found and the look on that little kid’s face was reflected on AJ’s.

And there was something else, too. Like he’d seen that somewhere before. Recently. He just couldn’t think where.

When he’d asked that kid what was wrong, he’d said that the other older kid he’d gotten placed with him wasn’t half as nice as Vin was.

Vin leaned back in his chair and frowned at them thoughtfully. It was like AJ wasn’t expecting Nathan to be nice – or give her a no strings attached present. Did AJ have friends outside the office? She had to know that there were nice people in the world. What kind of people was she used to dealing with?

Nathan – oblivious to his friend’s musings – smiled warmly and nodded. “No problem.”

“Hey, AJ,” JD frowned as she made to walk past. “Aren’t those shoes a little high for going up and down so many stairs?”

“It’s what I regularly wore at the Bureau,” she shrugged. “They don’t bother me anymore.”

Buck frowned after her and shook his head. “That ain’t making sense. How can anyone walk in shoes that high, anyway? Seems flashy to me.”

“And what do you think she meant by the shoes not bothering her anymore?” JD questioned. Had she not wore them before working at the FBI? Then why did she start?

Meanwhile, Josiah looked over the notes in hand. “She keeps very detailed notes,” he smiled slightly. “But she’s supposed to, being a secretary, isn’t she?”

Buck glanced over and did a double take. “Now, hold on,” he stepped next to him. “Junior, did you happen to notice what she was scribblin’ in that notebook of hers?”

Vin shook his head. “Why?”

“Cause I saw her scribblin’ more than what I’m seein’ here,” he read the three pages Josiah handed him. “Somethin’ tells me that girl was writin’ somethin’ else besides notes,” he waved the pages at them.

JD blinked. “Hey! That’s right, I did see her writing, but I thought it was just notes. Is that all she gave you?”

“Well, that can’t be right,” Nathan remembered the meeting, too.

AJ’s pen had been flying across the page, and it seemed like she wrote a lot more than three pages.

They frowned at the papers in Josiah’s hands before looking at each other.

Something wasn’t adding up.

“Maybe she was writing herself notes?” JD suggested.

“What kind of notes?” Josiah flipped through the pages again.

“Hair appointments? Lunch dates? I don’t know.”

“She’s got a planner, though,” Nathan told them. “I saw it when I talked to her just last week.”

“Hm,” Josiah scratched his chin. “What do you suppose she’s written?”

“Think she’s done it before?” JD asked. They honestly hadn’t paid much attention to her during their other team meetings.

“Well, we’ll just keep an eye on her, then,” Buck told him.

“What do you think, boys?” Vin looked around at them. “Keep an eye on her or get our hands on that notebook?”

“Notebook,” Buck raised a hand.

“Weren’t you just saying we should keep an eye on her?” Nathan grinned.

“Well, yeah, but the next meeting is next week,” he whined. “I can’t wait that long. I’ll die of old age.”

“You said it, not me,” JD laughed, ducking his friend’s hand as it made a half-hearted swipe.

Buck sniffed and headed to the breakroom where Ezra was just wrapping up a phone call with one of his various contacts. “Hey, Ez,” he poured himself some ~~dishwater~~ coffee. “How long ya need to swipe a notebook?”

“That, Mr. Wilmington, would depend on the whys and wherefores.”

“Huh?”

“Details,” he started violently as AJ suddenly piped up from behind him.

“Good grief, Darlin’,” Buck clutched his chest. “Give a fella some warnin’ next time.”

“Yes, sir,” she shuffled past him to re-supply the paper napkins.

“Say, Darlin’,” he watched her. “’Siah said somethin’ about visitin’ the Battered Women’s Shelter around July. We sometimes go with him, but I reckon the ladies there would be more calm-like if you went. ‘Course, I’d understand if you –”

“When in July?” she turned to him. “Before I go back, I hope. I still have Tammy and the twins to take care of outside of the team.”

“We’ll have to talk it over,” Buck smiled widely. “We usually go around the first weekend or after the Fourth. But he might schedule something else. You know Josiah.” She really didn’t.

“Alright,” she was almost to the door when she suddenly stopped. “Agent Standish?”

“Ms. Johnson?”

“How was it? Did you get what you wanted?”

Ezra blinked, unsure what she was talking about.

“At the florist,” she clarified. “Your undercover assignment? And you had Agent Wilmington there with you. I have to say, I’m curious about what crime ring would be using a flower shop as a front, but it’s probably classified. In that case, I’m probably better off not knowing.” She left the room and the pair of agents staring after her.

Buck’s mouth opened and closed for a few minutes before pointing after her. “How the hell - ?”

JD picked that moment to come in. “Hey,” he looked between them. “What’s going on?”

“We’ve been made,” he blinked helplessly.

“What do you mean?”

“It appears that Ms. Johnson is either unusually perceptive,” Ezra turned to Buck in disbelief, “or is in possession of certain precognitive abilities.”

“How else do you explain her knowin’ Ez was undercover?” Buck shrugged.

“She knew?” JD gaped. “How? _I_ almost didn’t recognize him!”

They looked at him. None of them could even begin to guess.

* * *

 


	18. Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Ezra restlessly shuffled the deck in his hands as his green eyes stayed locked on the figure in the bed before him.

The heart monitor’s slow beeping assured him that she wasn’t as dead as she appeared. Next to him, Josiah glanced up from an old copy of National Geographic. 

“She’ll be fine, Brother,” he assured. “You found her in time.” 

‘I almost didn’t,’ he mentally sighed. He checked the time. It was almost five thirty.

Hard to imagine that three short hours ago, he was at his desk being teased by the others as Chris delivered their lunch.

Sighing silently, he leaned his head back against the wall behind him. Never had he had a teammate attacked like that. Not on their home territory.

Poor Tammy had been questioned as much as she could stand. Ezra – along with the rest of his team – believed that Tammy was completely innocent. She was the pawn, if anything else. A means to an end.

The team had the rest of the day off to finish what they were doing and to get the ranch ready for the new arrival. It had been unanimously agreed that AJ would be recuperating at the Larabee homestead as it was some sort of unwritten rule that all incapacitated members of Team Seven were to be immediately shipped out there where the others could keep an eye on them. 

The entire building was up in arms, scrambling to figure out how anyone could have managed to sneak poison into AJ’s drink and then disappear without a trace.

The team was absolutely certain that it was an inside job, more than likely the same one who had attacked AJ twice before. None of them were about to give her attacker another chance to finish the job.

Ezra closed his eyes and thought back to earlier in the day.

* *

“Morning, AJ,” JD smiled widely as he rounded the corner to see her immersed in her computer. Since the team had yet to catch a case, they didn’t have much paperwork to hand over. He vaguely wondered what she was doing before deciding it was something to do with some kind of Secretary Protocol.

“Good morning, Agent Dunne,” she didn’t look up.

“Anyone else here?”

“Yes.”

He waited but didn’t get anything else. “Who?” he finally prompted.

“Agents Larabee, Jackson and Tanner.”

“Who was first?” he frowned.

“I was. That’s my job,” she deadpanned.

“No, I mean between Chris, Nate and Vin.”

“‘Chris, Nate and Vin’, why?”

“Why what?”

“Why does it matter who got in first?”

“Vin makes spoon-dissolving coffee,” he wrinkled his nose. 

“Is that why you have two coffeemakers?”

“Yeah. Actually, I’m surprised you didn’t ask about it earlier,” he told her. About to step into the shared office, he paused, rewinding the conversation. “Hey, AJ…” he turned to see wide grey eyes staring innocently back.

“Sir?”

“… Never mind,” he turned back with a grin. She _had_ been messing with him! Looked like they were making progress, after all.

Not bothering to question it, JD settled behind his desk with a whistle. Maybe if he didn’t call attention to her thawing attitude, it would keep happening. 

“Hey, Kid,” Vin sauntered out of the breakroom. “What’s got you so happy?”

“Nothing in particular,” he shrugged.

Vin didn’t look convinced, but decided not to persue it. He settled behind his own desk as JD pulled up their floor’s camera footage. 

Nathan passed by his desk. “Still trying to figure it out?”

“Kind of. This is live stream,” he leaned his head on a fist.

“Doesn’t look like anything’s going on,” Nathan crossed his arms as his own brown eyes moved from the stairwell angle to the elevators. “I guess I spoke too soon,” he added, watching Jodie and Josie Landon race out of the elevator, the other two of the four trotting after them.

“Johnson!” they heard from the hall. “Is this true or is Gloria doin’ a late April Fool’s Day?”

Vin, JD and Nathan left to watch the scene.

Jodie (or Josie – the one wearing purple) leaned on the desk in front of AJ, her sister – in green – standing behind her, hands on hips. 

“Guess you heard,” AJ mused, pushing her glasses back up her nose. 

“It’s great, AJ,” Tammy smiled widely. “Another month to hang out!”

“I guess.” 

“Now, we got more time to plan our favors,” Purple rubbed her hands together.

“I already know what Johnson’s doing for me,” Green told her. 

“She’s already done mine,” Arina told them.

“How did your friend like the flowers?” AJ wanted to know.

“She loved them,” she gushed. “Said you were a natural.”

“What about you, Tammy?” JD asked the shy redhead.

She lifted a shoulder.

“What about you boys?” Purple turned to them. “Let’s see. Jackson and Tanner have already, yes? That leaves five more.”

“We’re working on it,” JD sighed. He still didn’t know what he was going to have AJ do. 

“Well, now you have time,” Arina told him. 

“Everyone’s talking about it,” Tammy told AJ.

“I can imagine. It’s not something that you encounter every day and it’s a once in a lifetime thing.”

“Yeah,” Green flicked a wrist. “You can tell nothin’ ever happens ‘round here.”

“But, ya know, Johnson,” Purple tapped a finger to her lips in thought. “Ever since you got here…”

“You don’t think AJ could possibly be the reason,” Arina balked. 

“Got any other explanation?” 

All of them missing AJ’s wry smile, they looked up as Josiah came around the corner to see the group. 

“Brothers, Sisters. What seems to be all the excitement?”

“Did you know about this?” Green pointed at AJ.

“Yeah, Chris told us before Gloria must’ve told you,” Nathan answered.

“AJ, have you met the other Team Girls?” Tammy smiled widely. “Even if you aren’t permanent, you should still meet them.”

“Do you hang out with the FBI Team Girls?” Arina wanted to know.

AJ shook her head.

“Why not?” Green raised a brow. “You need to hang out with others who know what you’re goin’ through. So’s you can complain about your teams and the like." 

“How are the relationships between the girls and the teams here?” AJ frowned.

“Pretty good,” Purple shrugged. “Why?” 

“Do the girls usually have lunch with their teams?”

“You’re worried that you’re breaking some kind of rule,” Green shook her head. “Don’t. The girls hang out with their teams when they want. You just keep doin’ what you been doin’. Gloria says it’s good to mingle. Keeps up morale, I think she said.”

“I was wondering about that,” Josiah snuck a glance at AJ, who seemed deep in thought.

“Well, it ain’t against the rules,” Purple shrugged. 

“See, AJ?” JD told her. “You can hang out with us whenever you want.”

From where everyone was positioned, the girls were in front of AJ’s desk, while the boys were to her left. Vin leaned against the door and could see the group without moving. 

“AJ, if you want,” Tammy piped up, “we could see if the other Team Girls will be available to have lunch with you one day.”

“Alright,” she nodded. She rummaged through her desk and the boys caught sight of her Meeting Notebook. They exchanged looks as she shut the drawer again. “Agent Sanchez, what’s your favorite flower?” 

The question threw them all off. She looked up at him, pen poised over a small pocket notebook.

“I’ve always been partial to Black-eyed Susans,” Tammy offered. 

“Yeah,” JD nodded, not entirely sure what AJ was getting at, but eager to play along. “And bluebells are pretty.”

The others named their own opinions and what flowers they were most likely to favor.

“Queen Anne’s Lace.” 

They turned to stare at Purple, who scowled back. “What? Hey, I don’t hold stock with that personality fits flower ridiculousness. If it looks pretty, it’s my new FoW.”

“Flower of the Week,” Tammy translated. 

“Not to be confused with men,” Green added.

“So, why did you want to know?” JD asked, watching her scribble for a minute.

“How many would you like delivered to your funeral?” she asked instead.

“Huh? Don’t tell me they already did something to get you mad,” Purple hooted with laughter. AJ just blinked at her before flicking her eyes to the space between Nathan and JD. Purple followed the movement before straightening. “Alright, ladies. Time to head back.”

“What are you on about?” her sister frowned at her. “Ain’t you the one always –”

“Well, Johnson wants lunch with the Team Girls, so let’s get the ball rollin’,” she started herding the three off to the elevators. “See ya, Johnson. Call if ya need some help with the clean-up.”

“What was that?” JD blinked after them.

Vin, Nathan and Josiah looked at each other before looking at AJ, who had quickly returned to her typing. The phone rang before any of them could ask.

“Eleventh floor, Team Seven offices,” she answered. “Yes, sir. Agent Larabee will take your call in his office.” She hung up and commented, “Judge Travis is on line two, sir.”

Not sure what to make of it, Vin glanced at the others before he felt a prickle on the back of his neck and caught sight of a figure in black lurking in the corner of his eye. 

Catching on, Vin casually straightened and grinned over AJ’s head. “Well, boys, reckon we’d better get to work before Chris gets back.” He sauntered back into the office as his friends finally put the clues together and scurried in after him.

The black wearing blond swept after them, scowling at their innocent looks.

** **

Chris sighed as he stopped at a red light and glanced at the file on the seat next to him. 

He had asked Judge Travis about their lack of cases and had been given the explanation he thought he would get.

Fortunately, though, the Judge had relented in giving him a case on the agreement that another month was already too long to go without a case. The boys were already getting antsy.

Unfortunately, Chris had had to go out and actually get the file that was waiting for him at the police department.

He put up a fuss, but the trip enabled him to visit his friend there, who was in charge of the case concerning AJ’s car. The DNA hits from the hair samples identified former Denver FBI girls who had transferred out to other offices. The ladies were in the process of being contacted, which Chris left him to.

Now that Team Seven had a case, Chris was going to do his best to see it through. He would call in for more information when there was more to call in for.

Seeing that it was nearing lunchtime, Chris absently headed for the McDonald’s ahead. He knew what his team liked and ordered everyone’s favorites, but it wasn’t until he was waiting for his order that he realized that he’d forgotten someone he shouldn’t have.

Every time Chris had seen AJ eat something, it was usually something healthy. Rubbing his temples, he made a decision and went back to order a small fry, their twenty piece nuggets and three cups of every sauce they had. He’d seen some of their healthier choices and remembered that Nathan didn’t find their salads as appetizing as they looked.

Gathering his orders together, he hopped back into the Ram and headed for the office.

Arriving on his floor, he managed to get a hold of everything as he headed down the hall, plopping AJ’s food down in front of her. “Here,” he told her as she blinked at him. “Eat that and don’t complain about your figure. Frankly, you could stand to gain some weight.” 

He swept into the office as she stood to investigate the bag and scowled as green eyes met blue. “Stuff it, Tanner.”

“Ain’t said nothin’,” he smirked. 

“I didn’t have time to run all over the city just to cater to one person. Come on, boys. We’ve got a case.” 

“Finally,” Buck stretched before getting up. “Was starting to go nuts around here.”

Chris dumped the food in the conference room so that the team could get their orders and closed the door to get started.

* * * 

Ezra smiled slightly as he left the parking garage and headed up to the lobby. He’d just come from a successful meeting with a contact and had some information that JD was following up on. The young tech had gone with Nathan to visit a different contact and Ezra didn’t expect them back for another hour yet.

He was contemplating a visit to his favorite coffee shop when he entered the lobby elevators in preparation to go upstairs. He just needed to write up his report and give it to Chris before immersing himself in a file that had come to his attention from Team One. 

Since AJ was all by herself, maybe she would accompany him to the shop. There were quite a few beverages that had Nathan’s seal of approval so it should be more than acceptable for AJ. He wouldn’t take long to write up his report, so Ezra would ask her when he passed her desk. 

The elevator doors opened and Ezra stepped out with a smile, already thinking of how to coax out information from the brunette concerning yesterday’s revelation and how she could possibly have figured out that he was in disguise.

“Good afternoon, Ms. Johnson,” he called, rounding the corner. He blinked as he found an empty desk. Shrugging, he assumed that she was in the ladies’ restroom near the stairwell or in the office itself so he just went in. “Ms. Johnson?” she wasn’t in Chris’s office, the conference room or the breakroom. He even looked in the supply room, but came up empty.

Ezra sat down at his desk and decided to start on his report as he waited for AJ to come back from the ladies room.

As he started typing, however, he frowned as something felt … well, off. It was a little too quiet, yes, but this felt oddly different than all the other times he found himself alone at the office. He didn’t know if he could explain it, but there was just something that made him uncomfortable to be by himself.

He tried ignoring it, but the more he tried, the more uncomfortable he became. Finally, he stood and stalked out, unwilling to be alone any longer. And AJ should have been back by now, unless she’d gone to visit with her fellows.

He decided to check the restrooms to make absolutely certain she was there and hang around until she finished so that he didn’t have to go back to the office by himself. 

The uncomfortable feeling – as well as any other feeling and thought – immediately fell to the wayside as he rounded the second corner to find AJ face down on the floor. 

Without future memory of moving, he dropped down beside her with his heart in his mouth. Carefully turning her over, he supported her head and neck as he saw her eyes closed and mouth trying to take air in through pale lips.

Ezra would look back on this moment and be unable to recall what happened next, but he did recall Nathan’s slightly panicked voice in his ear to tell him exactly what was going on.

He didn’t remember the paramedics getting there just as Nathan and JD burst through the stairwell door or the medic gently prying him from AJ’s side as she finally stopped breathing, the trip down in the elevator or the ride in the ambulance.

He finally managed to make the fog lift a bit when a well-meaning nurse asked if he was alright as Nathan, Buck and JD arrived.

* **

Josiah watched the younger man watch AJ like a hawk.

He’d been on his way back from an avoidable meeting with an old school friend when JD called him.

As much as Josiah had wanted to reassure himself that AJ was stabilizing, he, Vin and Chris stayed to figure out what the hell had happened.

Vin had been the one to find a cup from a well-known café down the street some ways in her trash can and the contents of the cup were sent for analysis as the cup was analyzed for prints.

JD – in order to keep busy – had pulled up the camera footage facing toward the bathroom and saw just how close Ezra had come to missing her completely.

Josiah sighed as he focused on their unconscious friend. 

From what Nathan had managed to explain, the poison had caused a block in her airway by making the path slowly narrow until there had been no more room for the air. She would have choked to death hours before the poison worked its way out of her system.

Luckily, a few of the doctors on staff had seen this type of poison and were able to treat it immediately. 

The team, however, had never heard of it before, but it had evidently been around for a few years. They were still waiting on that information. 

She was very lucky that Ezra showed up when he did. A lucky ‘bathroom’ break indeed.

Josiah had never seen the younger man so shaken.

He understood, also unsettled. Being attacked, after all, was one thing.

But he had never dreamed that one of them would be taken out on home territory.

The doctor said that they might be able to get her to the ranch late tomorrow or early the day after. Josiah knew that everyone would feel better once AJ was at the ranch and under their careful watch.

* * *

 


End file.
